Stress Happens

"The truth is that stress doesn't come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges, or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about these circumstances." - Andrew Bernstein

Through most of my career, my job was labeled as what companies call an "individual contributor." this meant I did my job, handled my responsibilities but had no direct reports. That was nearly twenty-seven years of my career and I was then thrust into managing people.

A change that made me change some of my perceptions.

What I have found though is managing people is not a whole lot different from working with customers, peer work groups or even family and friends. It remains a very relationship oriented function and as I have learned to accept that fact, my focus to "leading" our team becomes more clear.

But one other fact remains in any relationship, stress within people can and does occur. The stress could be due to the amount of work being handled, something at home affecting your work and many times cultural or personality differences. It just happens and sometimes it boils like steam venting from a pot.

When stress builds, stop, take a deep breath and relax.

According to research done by the online journal Thorax called Angry Breathing, shows that "hostility is associated with poorer pulmonary function and more rapid rates of decline among older men." What this means is anger can alter neuroendocrine processes, which trigger chronic inflammation and damage the lungs.

Essentially, the longer you remain angry, the more you express anger at other drivers, at other people and life in general, your risk of lung damage goes up. So it just makes sense to relax and 'take a deep breath' when you feel anger or stress coming on.

Life will be better and life will be longer. You'll breathe easier in the long run.

Stay inspired my friends!

Time Passes

"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." - James M. Barrie

There is a simple truth to life that reminds us to stop and smell the roses.

This is because time passes us by so quickly.

Give yourself opportunity to enjoy many of the smaller and grander things in life.

Don't let your life slip by too fast......

Stay inspired my friends.

Every Little Thing

"Every little she does is magic." - The Police

We each have small moments, small gestures or small words that do grand things for other people. It is in the little things we do, day in and day out, that make a difference in the lives of others. Whether it be for a loved one, a friend or a complete stranger, all of the little moments create a lasting impact.

With that, here is a little tickler Tuesday for you as Linus from the cartoon strip Peanuts, performs with the Police.

Stay inspired my friends!

The Individual

"Individualism can never achieve like connection to a community of people can." ~Joseph Primm

Do we really thrive by ourselves in this world if we isolate ourselves from others? If we take the idea that we will only interact with others when we need them, can that lifestyle be sustained? And I am talking about a lifestyle in which you only take from others, but rarely give of yourself.

This is where the idea of staying connected to a community of people can make a huge difference. It is the idea in which you give and share yourself with others. You could refer to it as making a deposit in a bank of goodness. Eventually you will have an issue in life and need to make a withdrawal. If you never deposit into it, you will still find charitable assistance, but even charity can run dry.

The community of people, the bank of goodness, that I am talking about can be made up of many different sources.

It might be a faith based community of believers.

It could be a business community of shared interest.

It could even be the social community of people living in city.

Each of these communities grow stronger the more we invest into them. And this is not to say that the individual is nothing on its own.

It is individualism that provides diversity, varied knowledge and strengths when combined with others. But the individual will find it difficult to rise to new height by itself. A community of individuals that have come together, will lift and raise each other as the needs occur.

John Andrew Holmes said "there is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." The individual has a difficult time doing this by one self. Being part of a community is like mountain climbing, pulling each other along; saving each other should one fall. Each of us pulling each other up.

Be a part of something greater than the individual. You'll see yourself rise to greater heights.

Stay inspired my friends!