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Stress - what is it? You may find that a strange question. What is stress, really? Most
people can certainly identify where the stress in their lives comes
from (so
they tell me). Boss, employees, kids, parents, spouse, job, credit
card bills... and on and on.
You're a sophisticated crowd. I'm sure those things do occasionally
strike a nerve for you, as they do for most of us. But I'd guess
you're more sophisticated by now than to think they're actually
causing your stress!
Would I be right? Let's hope so.
Just for us, let's give stress a different definition. Let's call it
"any reaction to life that interferes with expressing your personal
power."
You wouldn't want to do that, would you?
At the very least, you'd want to
respond to life in a way that keeps you at your most powerful. (Perhaps, you'd even want to
create that stress-less life rather than merely responding. But that's
for another day.)
In this
article, I'd like to discuss just one aspect of stress
management that, once mastered, can turn your world on it's
ear. And maximize your personal power!
Incubating a result You know how frustrating it can be when you see a problem or challenge
in your life, but you can't see what to do about it? You're
sophisticated enough to realize there has to be a solution. But you
can't seem to figure out what it is!
Now that's stress!
The solution:
incubate. I do it myself.
Usually, when a challenging situation comes up, I really do try to
find an empowered solution. And I'm about to spill the beans on how I
do it. Maybe I'll even have an idea or two you haven't come up with
yet.
One of my absolute favorites is to get a question firmly in mind and
then go do something else. In a pinch, just about anything will do.
But I'm partial to physical exercise (or some kind of movement),
particularly outdoors.
Knowing that, I'll bet you can guess that my couple months of
landscaping the yard this past summer and early fall really paid big
dividends. At least I "think" they did! You can let me know for sure.
Incubation is basically a 3-step process:
1. Formulate a great question. A productive
question has 3 distinct characteristics. Unless I miss my guess,
you're far too busy to waste your time chasing after unproductive
questions, so you'll want to get this point.
2. Undertake a process designed to enhance
your awareness, like doing something physical or getting outside.
Other strategies you might like: taking any kind of break from your
normal routine (holidays, for example); nappy-time; a
long bath; deep breathing. And more.
3. Listening
creatively for the answer. It's very possible to do the first 2 steps
perfectly and still miss the point! Another waste of time I'm sure
you'd rather avoid. Suffice it to say the answer "usually" won't
arrive by FedEx.
You can get all the details in my new booklet, "Incubate Your Best
Solution: How to Answer Perplexing Life Questions by Connecting with
your Inner Voice of Wisdom." It's part of my
Ultimate Stress-Buster
Kit [which I incubated while working in the yard].
Let's create some health!
But here's another little secret. I'm not talking just about classic
"stress." This booklet is about engaging fully with life. About
expressing your creative self to the utmost. And about utilizing that
personal power to optimize your health. Translation: if you
read between the lines, the information in this booklet will take you
way beyond stress management.
Here's to your health!
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