Rolling with the Punches and Dealing with Stress

What stress’s you out? When you think about your life, and all your experiences, what is the one or many instances in which you were so stressed, that you wanted to scream at the top of your lungs?  Some people might list such events as fighting with your spouse, kids, getting into a car crash, or especially having to call the cable company.  Whatever it might be, learning what stresses you and how to deal with it is a skill that is easy to learn but takes a lifetime to master.

It’s funny how my Wife and I have such different ideas of what makes us stressed out.  For her, it’s the big things in life.  A few years back, she was side-swiped in a car accident which caused her some very stressful nights.  Other things include paying the bills and financial management.  Luckily, I don’t mind most of this stuff and gladly manage it for our family.  It’s these large (and hopefully rare) disasters which stress her out the most.  I can totally understand where this is coming from, but for some reason, I don’t usually get too bothered by these.  She has even commented to me in the past “Why are you so calm about this?”  In my mind, these type of disasters are largely unavoidable; there is nothing you could have done to not have this situation happen.  For me, stress is all about woulda, shoulda, and coulda.  I could have studied a little harder for the test.  I should have cut that tree branch down before it fell on the house, etc…  In cases like a car crash, there is very little you could have done to make the situation safer and change the other driver’s habit. 

What stresses me out to no end are the little things in life like leaving the kitchen counter dirty.  These things just grind at your soul and are completely avoidable; there is no reason to ever have to worry about this stuff.  All this is a character flaw of myself and I acknowledge it.  What is important is that I don’t lose perspective in these situations.  What you are complaining and raging about is really a minor problem in the scheme of life.  Bumps and hiccups will come along the road of life, and what truly defines you as a person is what you do and how you handle yourself in these difficult situations. 

Whenever you are stressed to no end, take a mental step back and look at the big picture.  Does your problem seem that important now? 

Wonderful Moment of the Day: Happy Graduation Weekend to all you college graduates out there!