STRESS DOES NOT = SUCCESS!

STOP everything that you’re doing right now!  It’s absolutely too much!  If you want to be stress free, you have to let go of something or you will never get there.  I know that everything you’re doing seems important, even the things that you’ve planned to do today that you check constantly on your schedule as if they’ll disappear.  Well, you have to teach yourself to only concentrate on one thing at a time and I guarantee that it will help free your mind from the pain, worry and turmoil that you are putting yourself through!

Recently, I’ve been quite overwhelmed with football season and other non-profit commitments, in addition to my real job.  I have been driving my son to and from practice as well as to football games each week. My husband also has increased commitments at this time, so I’ve been taking on much of our joint responsibilities.

Well, what I’ve learned during this busy time is that just as we have the ability to bring stress upon ourselves, we have the ability to remove it. Stress does not force it’s way in, it is given an invitation from you!

We are more powerful than we think.  When you begin concentrating on one thing at a time and commit to blocking out all of the other noise while you’re doing so, you are making a conscious effort to take control of each task on your plate and allowing each one to wait for it’s turn to receive your attention.  This answer was given to me as I sought God for guidance through prayer.  He is our shield and we can always take refuge in him and He will provide direction when we are overwhelmed.

Although there are other things that you can do to relieve stress, there are three key things that I’d like you to remember when you find yourself under a lot of stress.  These ideas are centered around the ability to control both your thoughts and actions through meditation, which takes discipline. However, when stress arises, the ongoing usage and repetition of these activities will be the key to your success.

3 Key Steps

• STOP what you’re doing!  Rest your mind or calm your thoughts through prayer and meditation. This can be a quick prayer to help you focus.
• Focus on the current thing you’re working towards in that moment.
• Don’t be afraid to say NO to new opportunities or tasks until you can get yourself under control.  You don’t want to add more stress to your life.  People will eventually understand.  However, if you never say anything to your boss about it, he or she will never know that they are contributing to the issue.

Let me know how it works!