Stress, The Silent Killer

It seems that the medical world now refers to stress as the silent killer. I never truly believed this until I experienced a very scary episode that was finally diagnosed as "stress".

I take really good care of myself and was shocked that I had developed several severe symptoms that apparently had been slowly creeping up on me until one unsuspecting day I woke to an intolerably pounding heart that was relentless.

You have to understand that while I have high energy and juggle multiple balls, I did not recognize any of the silent warning signs because I assumed nothing of this nature could possibly happen to me. I now look at everything differently. I urge all of you to look at your own life and assess honestly the level to which your multitasking and busy lifestyle may be hurting you.

I found this in some literature on stress management and wanted to share it. A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,

"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I try to hold it; if I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem; if I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm; if I hold it for a day, I'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If you carry your burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes heavier, you won't be able to carry it any longer. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When you're refreshed, you can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you end your day, put the burden of work down. Pick it up tomorrow. Relax. Learn to meditate; take time for yourself; smell the proverbial roses; laugh a little more and remember how short and tentative life can be. Make sure you enjoy every second."

Here are funny comments to make you smile while you reassess your life!

• Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
• Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
• Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
• Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
• If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
• If you lend someone $20 and never see him or her again, it was probably worth it.
• It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
• Never buy a car you can't push.
• Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
• Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
• Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
• The second mouse gets the cheese.
• When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
• Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
• You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
• Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
• We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
• A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

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