Article May 7, 1984 Issue

Stay underwhelmed!

VIRGINIA L. SCOTT

There are times when obligations, responsibilities, and challenges seem overwhelming. But there is a way to conquer that overwhelmed feeling: stay underwhelmed!

You say "underwhelm" is not in your dictionary? It isn't in mine either. But "over whelm" is—it means "upset, overthrow"; "to cover over completely: submerge"; "to overcome by superior force." Since not one of those verbs suggests the kind of experience I would aspire to, I find it much more satisfactory to remain "underwhelmed," whether the word is listed in my dictionary or not! Then comes the great question: How?

Admittedly, it's sometimes hard not to feel overwhelmed. But Christian Science offers logical and practical guidance in how to overcome negative and depressing situations and how to cope with the sense of being swamped by problems. Science explains that God, good, is the only power or presence; therefore whatever suggests evil or trouble in any form is a mistaken concept that can be overcome in proportion to one's conviction that it is unreal. If it were real, God would have had to create it. And since all that He makes is good, evil—however convincing it may appear to be—is an illusion, a counterfeit of what is true.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Editorial
"Special miracles"
May 7, 1984
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit