Let Stress Motivate You

Did you know there are two types of stressors?

(1) Positive 

(2) Negative

The truth is, life without any type of stress would be boring; similar to a "deadline" on a heart monitor. In fact, when I reflect on life itself, is it not like a heart monitor? We experience our UPS and our DOWNS. The trick is to accept the good, with the bad. Realize this is the way of life and learn to go with the flow. As I often say to people, "Ride the wave" when they are in despair.

Positive stress is when you reach out to the world with your own courage to change your life. It may be starting a new job, going back to school, getting married, choosing to leave an unhappy marriage, having a baby, or moving, etc. With any life altering event, you will experience some level of stress, guaranteed! Of course, it can feel very rewarding to experience positive stress. It's all in your view of life, your outlook, your own personal perceptions.

Try asking yourself, "Do I enjoy the adrenaline rush or do I seek to avoid it?" Your answer will tell you a lot about yourself. Do you tend to remain in your comfort zone allowing life to lead you here, or lead you there? Or do you choose to jump out of that comfort zone to experience life to its fullest?

Stress often gets a "bad rap" because it is mostly perceived as negative, which in turn, brings the word "anxiety" to mind. Anxiety is uncomfortable. When in an anxious state of being many people feel they are not able to cope. Life often hands us circumstances that are extremely stressful. For example, the death of a loved one, living through a disaster or even an unexpected loss of employment. Basically, anything less than a favourable experience in life can cause your anxiety to peak.

The problem can be stemmed from our best laid plans in life. We may not give this plan a great deal of thought, but we all have some sort of plan, or idea, about where we want to go, how to get there and when. Life has a way of sending us on a detour with our plans. How can one begin to deal with these challenges?

First of all, adopt a new attitude. I personally believe that every cloud has a silver lining - we just have to look for it. The silver lining might surface immediately or it may take weeks/months/years to appear.

Second of all, I believe everything happens for a reason. The reason may not be immediately apparent, in fact, it may never surface. Regardless, it is my belief that EVERYTHING happens for a reason.

"Why?" you may ask.

The answer for me is simple, it's called personal growth.

Without the hard times, the challenges, the let downs, the disappointments, etc., how can one grow in strength and character? I feel it is important to rise to each challenge set before us so we may become the best we can be.

I personally take it one step further with "faith". Sometimes we want something in life, we work hard to get it, we plan for it and suddenly it is taken from us. This has certainly happened to me repeatedly in my life. After feeling the initial shock and disappointment I turn my sights to the future knowing it is all meant to be, just as it is. Maybe there is a better job for me in the shadows I can't yet see. Perhaps a life lesson is in the making. Whatever the reason, it is meant to be.

Now this is not to say, "Give up and surrender". Of course we must take action towards our goals and make life the best we can for ourselves. In many times of turmoil I have found myself having to take a stand and say to myself, "If it is to be, it is up to me!"

The point is, stress can be motivator, if you let it. Sometimes the stress is going to knock you down and slap you silly. I believe it is within you to get back up. This is the key. When you get knocked down, get back up again, and again, and again.

In my life, "Giving up is NOT an option".

What about you? Doesn't it sound like more fun to never give up?