The Pursuit of Peace
Letting Go of Anxiety, Worry, and Fear
by
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The search for peace is now even more critical than ever before. The Covid 19 Pandemic that rocked the world in 2020 and its aftermath has had devastating effects. As a result, global economies are failing. Increased political and social conflict threaten the very fabric of society.
Households struggle to provide necessities, businesses have had to close at alarming rates, and the food supply and distribution have been hit extremely hard. During the Covid Pandemic, healthcare workers and first responders were ravaged by overwhelming stress, inadequate safety supplies and daily trauma. This calamitous state of affairs occurred on top of the already existing multitude of people treated in medical and mental healthcare facilities.
As catastrophic as this seems, now is the time for fighting back. The world cannot afford to allow fear and anxiety to govern our response to dire circumstances. While anger, grief, anxiety and fear are reasonable human reactions to threat and danger, they must be managed within each individual in a way that motivates and promotes healing and growth. We must ask the right questions, determine the most appropriate responses and develop effective plans of action.
The action must begin with each individual doing their part to bring about change. It must become personal. We can’t effectively and efficiently respond to our collective life challenges without concurrently addressing individual anxiety, worry and fear. It starts with you and me. We can all benefit from learning strategies and skills to conquer fear and inspire peace.
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About the Book
There are so many sources of stress in today’s world. Sickness and disease, inadequate medical care, the rising cost of living, broken relationships, social conflict, violence, and grief from a pandemic that took so many lives. These problems continue to present major challenges to peace of mind. We try to find peace in any ways, but often, our best efforts just don’t seem to be good enough. This book provides helpful strategies to overcome anxiety, worry and fear and find peace of mind. The author advocates a change in perspective that shifts the focus from the external world with its trouble and unrealistic expectations to the internal world of self- awareness and spiritual truth. The internal perspective embraces faith in the power of God to change the unchangeable, control the uncontrollable and to promote spiritual healing, mental and emotional renewal and strength. Practical, biblically- based suggestions and strategies are provided to help the reader apply spiritual principles to problems and difficult circumstances. The reader is taught how to rise above circumstances, release anxiety, worry, and fear and experience true and lasting peace.
About the Author
Mary Ann Echols, PhD is a Licensed psychologist holding a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology. Her clinical experience is extensive and broad based, including individual, group, and relationship counseling. She has certifications in specialized treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma processing, anxiety, and depression. Dr. Echols has over 25 years of clinical practice in hospital settings and private practice including serving as the lead psychologist and clinical staff liaison for outpatient mental health services. She was employed as Adjunct Faculty, teaching graduate level courses in cultural awareness, multicultural counseling, and diversity. Dr. Echols also served as a University Administrator for Student Affairs and Associate Director of the University Counseling Center. She has been a featured speaker for seminars, workshops and panel discussions on mental health issues.