Stressers

Anyone who has ever dealt with health, relationship, or financial issues, knows the effects of stress.

Stress , and how we face it, can either make or break us.....Physically, emotionally, and financially.  The irony is that its usually one of the three that is the source or catalyst of our stress.  So how do we avoid it?  The answer is simple...We don't.  I didn't say its "how we avoid it" I said its "how we face it" that either makes us or breaks us. 

Running away and avoidance never works.  Challenges don't simply evaporate like water from a glass. They linger and fester, compound and take root, until we face them. I don't know about you, but I don't have a fairy god mother waiting in the wings to wave her magic wand while singing bippity boppity boo and turn my pumpkin into a chariot.  Life is messy and complicated and takes hard work sometimes, but if you manage it correctly, you gain a lot along the way. Its worth it!

Sometimes we jump in feet first without taking a step back or a deep breath to prepare ourselves for the dive.  Sometimes we miss a step along the way and we make a blunder, or if your like me... many blunders.  The key is keeping your head, not losing it. Accept your setbacks, regroup and redirect, and start again. Dust the dirt off your knees and ass and plant your feet firmly back on the ground. For someone who falls down a lot... I am deeply familiar with this.

Couples face stress all the time. Work, home, bills, kids, money, health, time......it all contributes to the rise and downfall of relationships. So how do we make it work? Forgiveness, Partnership, Fairness.  When things go wrong, remember the old adage "it takes two".  Don't point fingers or lay blame. Instead of seeking "why did this happen", seek instead "how do WE fix this" (notice the capital WE).  Remember that it was love that brought you this far, and love will take you through it.  If you have a true partner, you are better together, stronger, and more capable, than you are apart, broken, and fragmented. Kick your ego to the curb and count on your better half to help bring the two of you through the trials.

I learned this week, that even the most dire of diagnosis can be reversed or sent into a state of  stasis and dormancy,  if we manage our stress and outlook on life.  We can't change whats set in stone or fated to happen but we can influence it by exercising free will. We can accept, learn, and continually grow.  There is no medal to be gained by giving in and surrendering to a challenge.  The longevity of our relationships, health, and money, all depend on our outlook and how we accept and face not just where we are, but where we want to go.