Tag Archives: stress

Spirituality

Crisis Response

Recently someone asked if a little chaos was good for us. Perhaps a better question might be, is stress good or not? Like with most things, there is no “one size fits all” answer.

A bit of stress keeps us on our A game. Deadlines and pressure can produce order when managed properly. If you manage others, you must know how much stress your people can handle.

But what about when a crisis occurs? My mind becomes hyper-focused when the shit hits the fan. It’s like the world slows down while my thoughts become crystal clear and orderly. This is a benefit of growing up in an unpredictable environment. I learned to think on the fly, to seek safety when panic happened. This trait has never left me.

Our minds are incredible machines. But just like any machine, we must take care of it. Eat well, exercise, get plenty of sleep and be judicious about what you read or watch on television. Even our choices in music affects us.

Hopefully the stresses are minimal in your life. Taking care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually will allow you to handle whatever life throws your way. Trust the process…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

There’s A Little Bit of Clark in All of Us

Have you seen the “Vacation” movies with Chevy Chase? Chase plays the role of Clark Griswold, a chemical engineer who desperately wants to create great memories for his family. As hard as Clark tries, stuff always goes haywire and the comedy follows. But Clark never gives up.

There’s a little bit of Clark in all of us. We want to create something special for our family, but our best plans rarely turn out as planned. I fault the Hallmark movies for this. Everything is perfect in those movies, and everyone lives happily ever after in the end. My own attempts at making holidays special looked more like a sitcom than a Hallmark movie! But no one can say I didn’t try.

The holidays have arrived. The season brings enough stress on its own. People add to the stress because they want everything to be perfect. And when things go awry, the stress levels rise.

My encouragement to you is to enjoy the season. Take it in stride when unexpected surprises happen. In fact, expect them to happen.

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to create a Hallmark movie. You will have beautiful moments. Hold onto those and don’t concern yourself with the rest.

All you can do is try your best. When you give it your all, take solace in that…

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