Stressed

I don't often feel stress these days. In the past, when I've found myself in jobs that I either didn't like or absolutely hated, I stressed out. It's easy to stress out when you don't enjoy what you're doing. But I haven't been able to say that for over a year. I love my job and I love working with kids.

Today, however, I can say that I'm stressed out.

As I said, I haven't felt stressed out in a very long time. It's kind of nice to coast through life without feeling the stress of it all. It's not that there haven't been stressing events that try to press down on me from time to time. I just choose not to let them get to me. For me, that's a relatively easy thing to do. I'm not a worrier.

I don't know where that particular personality trait comes from. I come from a long line of worriers. I've just never seen the point in it. I have clients who deal with anxiety on a regular basis and find myself quoting Van Wilder to them: "Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere."

Today, I'm a little worried. I've been traveling down life's road, not a care in the world. Suddenly, it's like life looked at me and said, "Who do you think you are? Not worrying about anything! I'll show you!"

"Not stressed out about the job you love? BAM! Here's a few piles of extra paperwork for you to deal with. Oh, and it has to all be completed, with guardian signatures, by the end of the school year. That's in two weeks, sucker!"

"Making it okay on that measly paycheck you call a salary? BAM! Here's an unexpected expense that you never saw coming!"

"How's your health? Feeling good? BAM! Here's a stomach virus that all the kids at school have been passing around! What, you thought you were too good for it? Thought you were gonna avoid being sick? HA!"

And then the stress piles on in multiple facets of life all at once. I don't write this to complain. Well, maybe I do. But I don't think complaining is something I do too often. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that one. I just needed to vent a little.

I'm hopeful... prayerful... that I'll be able to sleep on it tonight. I'll wake up tomorrow morning renewed, refreshed and virus-free. I'll have a new perspective on all the things that are weighing me down under the circumstances and I'll find a way to rise above the circumstances.

I may not actually be virus-free by the time it's time to get ready for work. It's possible I'll need to wait for that thing to run its course. But you get what I'm saying. Rise above. Stress free. Don't worry. Be happy.