“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.â€â€• Oscar Wilde
A phrase far too often used by some of our teammates back when I was running the pharmacy was, “I’m stressed.” Yes, it got a little crazy at times and I guess if you were on the outside looking in you could say the business was a little stressful because we had to pack and ship three to four thousand prescriptions a day with perfection, as medication errors can be deadly. I’ve never liked the word “stress” because I believe it represents a weakness in character…just my opinion. Crap happens no matter what you are doing in life and stress is a choice.
I can remember rallying the troops by telling them bad moments handled effectively will prevent bad minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years of stress from happening and in turn what they once perceived as stress was simply a part of living. I would challenge them to change their view from “I’m stressed” to “I’m living.” And yes, there were some days we were REALLY LIVING!
Many of you sent me emails last week when I shared with you my situation with my heart. Thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers. I’ve been at more peace with everything these days than I’ve been in a long time…prayer is powerful and I’ve felt it! Never once did I stress about this situation…it felt good to have to walk the walk but it even feels better to know I have a God who doesn’t want me to be stressed. I received a second opinion a couple of weeks ago and found I do have a “condition” and I can no longer throw hundreds of pounds of weight in the air when I do resistance training :), but the best news is the cardiologist said he wished more of his patients exercised the way I did and encouraged me to continue to train for and compete in triathlons.
My condition pales to some situations going on around me. While writing this post I couldn’t help but think about my friend Michelle Bruns’ family as she tragically left us at the young age of 36 just a few weeks ago. I’m also constantly thinking and praying for a couple of champions that worked with me back in the day, Amy Fashner and Sarah Hackett as they continue to battle cancer. Please continue to pray for these very dear friends and their families.
How about you, are you stressing, LIVING or existing? Try counting your blessings and choose to live…stress is a choice.
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
Genesis 2:7, “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
