To grow in life you must be a seeker of stress…
WHAT!?!?
“Stress is bad!!!”
“The last thing I need is more stress in my life!”
No, what you need is to change your relationship with “stress”.
To live in this world is to constantly be exposed to stress.
There is physical stress, mental stress and emotional stress.
Within these there can be financial stress, short term pain, chronic pain, professional stress, personal stress and countless others.
Here is the Webster’s Dictionary definition of STRESS:
: constraining force or influence: such as
a : a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part; especially : the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch
b : the deformation caused in a body by such a force
c : a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation
d : a state resulting from a stress; especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium
e : strain, pressure
What we can see here is that stress is sort of a neutral force with no intention of it’s own.
It is not necessarily described as being inherently bad…
Stress gives us growth in most areas where we seek growth.
When you lift weights in the gym, run on a treadmill or stretch your body to its limits you are introducing stress in order to get in better shape.
The stress of lifting weights tears the muscles leading to growth.
The stress of running increases the strength of you heart, lungs and muscles.
The stress of stretching leads to increased flexibility.
The same is true with mental learning.
When you are learning something new it is a stress. It isn’t the same type of mindless thinking like when you reread a story that you’ve read 100 times.
Learning a language is a stress. You constantly have to pause and think in order to say the most simple phrases.
All of these more difficult mental exercises are a “stress” by the very definition of the word.
This stress is necessary to rewire the brain for mental growth.
Doing things that may cause you fear is also working through stress in order to grow.
Talking to a cute girl or guy that you’ve never met can be stressful.
There is a lot of uncertainty involved.
It also prepares you to do more of it.
You are stressed, you learn, you survive and next time becomes easier.
The same is true when learning to drive, fight or jump out of an airplane.
Science has shown that stress in and of itself isn’t necessarily damaging for us.
What makes stress damaging is the way that we interpret it. In short, if you allow stress to “stress you out”. It will be more damaging to your body and your mind.
If you perceive stress as a neutral and normal force with a strong positive spirit, it does little damage. When perceived in a good way it actually has a very positive effect.
When you perceive a stress in a negative way it has a mixed positive and negative effect. Surviving it can make you stronger in some ways and perhaps more confident in you ability to take on stressors.
In the meantime though you dealt with adrenaline, cortisol and your body and mind were in a catabolic panic state. When you’re in a catabolic state, your body looks to break itself down in order to provide enough fuel for survival.
In the long term this can be very destructive.
To live an interesting and rewarding life we must have a positive relationship with stress.
We must welcome change, challenges and new uncertain experiences.
If we do this with an open, positive and curious mind we will equate positive feelings with “stress”, achieve massive growth, and have a great time along the way.
We all experience different forms of stress differently. Some of us may be excellent when dealing with physical stress, but crumble under social stress.
Being aware of where you need to improve your outlook on different types of stress is the first step to mastering it.
What is your relationship with stress?
Which areas need improvement?
How can you look at the stress in your life in a more positive way?
Your answers to those questions will determine if you live the life of an Adventurer…
… or the timid life of someone in constant fear and pain.
You decide, because now that you understand the dual-nature of stress you have all the tools you need to change your relationship with it. Recognition is half the battle…
Until Next Time, Stay Interesting…
All the best,
D
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