Effort Isn't Stress

From the Rohrig Tarot, the Ten of Wands; from the Master Tarot, the Children:

But effort isn't stress! It's important to distinguish between them: what makes things stressful is when we hold negative emotions against them. –Dr. Rick Hanson

The Thoth version of the Ten of Wands indicates feeling oppressed and having our will thwarted. We want to do something, but are stuck doing something else. The Children card suggests having an open mind and heart, being curious rather then seeing in black and white. As Hanson explains in the quote above, it is our obsessive thinking about how awful or difficult something is that causes most of our stress, not the task or circumstance itself.  

High Cost of Delusion

From the Rohrig Tarot, the Seven of Cups; from the Master Tarot/oracle, 'The Children:'

          The poor flower, in an attempt to find water in a parched land, begins to lose its petals. Unlike the flower, we don't have to desperately stay rooted and attached to what is draining us - we have a choice. But sometimes we get stuck looking outward, at people or situations that we feel are the cause of our distress. Our mind gets caught in a neverending spin cycle that replays our pain but never moves on to the next step. The Seven of Cups is a warning not to get caught in this kind of emotional over-indulgence. The book of Mark describes the kingdom of heaven as being filled with open hearts and minds such as found in young children. There is joy and goodness in the world if we are willing to leave behind our expectations and demands to find it.

We have a choice. We can complacently watch life from the sidelines, or we can risk our pride, our ideas, and whatever else we use to separate ourselves from others and leap fully into our life.

—Michael Wenger