| We have all had our share of stress.. | | | | situation. |
| I always was cynical towards people who | | | | There is the story of the hypochondriac who |
| complained of experiencing misfortunes. I used to | | | | went to see his doctor. When the hypochondriac |
| say that they do not have a positive attitude and | | | | was describing his imaginary diseases, the doctor |
| whatever they anticipate comes to pass. "As a | | | | was making short notes. The doctor was called |
| man thinketh, so is he." | | | | away to answer a phone call. When the doctor |
| But now I think differently. Some things can be | | | | was away, the hypochondriac peeked at the |
| learned only by experience. Some may be | | | | notes and saw the letters "SOB". He was very |
| pleasant and some unpleasant. But it is necessary | | | | angry. When the doctor returned, the |
| to have both good and bad experiences. | | | | hypochondriac questioned him as to how dare he |
| Last year we lost our house in a fire. It was a | | | | make such remarks about him. The doctor replied |
| terrible loss because the property was under | | | | "First of all, my notes are my personal property |
| insured. My wife and some of my friends | | | | and you should not have looked at them. |
| questioned me as to why this disaster should | | | | Secondly the letters "SOB" stand for short of |
| happen to me, a positive person. I myself did not | | | | breath and not what you think. |
| know why! But I knew one thing. Everything that | | | | All stress is not bad. Medical investigation has |
| happens to me happens for good. What good it | | | | concluded that under-stress can cause depression, |
| will be and when it will be, I had no idea. I will have | | | | indigestion, overeating, chronic irritability, fatigue, |
| to wait and recognize the good when it comes | | | | inability to concentrate, and many more |
| and be thankful for it. | | | | undesirable habits. Too much or too little is not |
| Since the house that burned down was a single | | | | good. |
| family home in a duplex zone, we decided to build | | | | Stress can be useful and necessary. If there is no |
| a duplex. When we submitted the plan to City Hall, | | | | stress on the strings, not a sound could be |
| our architect found that we could construct a | | | | coaxed from the most beautiful Stradivarius and |
| three story triplex. So now we have a three | | | | the highly prized diamond watch will not run for |
| story triplex which gives a beautiful view of the | | | | one minute but for the stress on its spring. |
| ocean and mountains. Freighters and cruise ships | | | | Too much tension, the strings of the violin and |
| from all over the world anchor in front of our | | | | springs of the watch will snap and too little will |
| house, and sea birds and eagles provide us with | | | | make them equally useless. |
| endless entertainment. We also have an income | | | | Some stress is beneficial by stimulating and |
| from the other two portions of our house. Thus, | | | | strengthening us. What matters is not the event |
| the fire was a blessing in disguise. | | | | which creates the worry but how we view the |
| If the fire had gutted less than 70% of the | | | | event. An event that causes constant worry to |
| house, we would have had to repair the damage | | | | one can be a very useful challenge to another. |
| and would not be permitted to demolish the | | | | When we look at the lives of great people, we |
| house and build a new one. The fire brigade was a | | | | find that their greatness depended upon their |
| little slow to respond and that resulted in more | | | | ability to overcome the tragic events in their lives |
| than 70% of the house being burned. That little | | | | and to turn them into events of blessings. |
| delay helped us, though that was not the intention | | | | St Paul wrote the epistles in prison. Charles |
| of the fire brigade | | | | Kettering broke his hand while cranking an |
| Needless to say, during this time we suffered a | | | | automobile and hence he invented the self starter. |
| lot of stress. | | | | He had a sign in his laboratory, "Do not bring me |
| All stress is created by mind and the ability to | | | | your successes, they weaken me. Bring me your |
| overcome stress is also created by mind. Some | | | | problems, they strengthen me." |
| events can create very great stress and calamity. | | | | As a boy, Edison worked as a candy butcher on |
| First, let us look at some of the damaging | | | | the train between Port Huron and Detroit. One |
| consequences of stress. An actual incident was | | | | day he was late for the train and was running |
| narrated by Father Jerome Morella de Sorento, an | | | | along to get on board. The conductor literally |
| Italian missionary in the Congo. A young man | | | | pulled him aboard by his ears. His eardrums were |
| spent a night with his friend. According to the | | | | damaged and he lost 90% of his hearing. Edison |
| tribal custom young men are prohibited from | | | | claimed that his deafness helped him in that he |
| eating wild hen for breakfast. Unknown to the | | | | could hear the loud ticking of the telegraph ticker |
| visitor the host prepared a wild hen and served | | | | amidst the chattering by people which he could |
| for breakfast. When the guest enquired, the host | | | | not hear. This deafness led him into the |
| said that it was not a wild hen. A few years later | | | | unexplored field of sound and its transmission. He |
| the two met again. Again the host prepared a wild | | | | patented 1100 inventions in the fields of sound |
| hen for breakfast. Again the guest asked if it was | | | | and its transmission, photography, and electricity |
| a wild hen and the host replied "Yes." The guest | | | | before he died in 1931 at the age of 90. |
| refused to eat. The friend laughed and said why | | | | When we are under stress, our awareness, our |
| should you refuse to eat it now when you were | | | | senses, and our mind are sharpened. We all know |
| perfectly happy to eat it last time you came. As | | | | many people who work best under stress. But |
| soon as the guest realized that the breakfast that | | | | they do not permit stress to create anxiety in |
| he ate a few years back was wild hen, he began | | | | them. |
| to tremble violently and was dead in 24 hours. | | | | There are many ways to deal with stress. Some |
| What was the cause of his death? Was it the | | | | of them are simple and are intended to get our |
| violation of the tribal custom? It could not have | | | | minds off the object of stress. Some therapists |
| been for he did not eat the hen that morning and | | | | recommend transient remedies such as a warm |
| when he violated the custom few years before, | | | | bath, going for a walk, cutting the grass, baking |
| nothing ill happened. It was the stress of the | | | | bread, writing down your peeves, finding out what |
| realization of his violating the tribal customa few | | | | we are afraid of and so on. . |
| years back. | | | | Getting our mind off the issue is good not only |
| Another example illustrating the deadly | | | | for stress but also in dealing with many other |
| consequences of stress was written by Dr. John | | | | vexatious problems. |
| K.Williams, a member of the Board of the National | | | | Some other common ways of combatting stress |
| Association for Mental Health. He wrote in his | | | | are to take a couple of tranquilizers, mix an |
| book, "The Wisdom Of Your Subconscious Mind", | | | | alcoholic drink, smoke pot, eat, watch television, |
| that a physician was given permission to | | | | go to bed and cry, take it out on our dear ones |
| experiment on a criminal sentenced to death. The | | | | but these responses will only land us in greater |
| prisoner was blind-folded and told that he would | | | | trouble. |
| be painlessly bled to death instead of going | | | | There are three better methods by which we will |
| through the torture of hanging. He was placed on | | | | be able to overcome stress. |
| a table. The Physician made a small incision on his | | | | The first method is to forgive yourself for the |
| hand but not deep enough to cause any bleeding | | | | past mistakes you think you made. There are |
| and a small stream of running water was allowed | | | | many people who cannot get rid of their guilty |
| to trickle into a bowl as if blood were trickling | | | | feelings over such mistakes. |
| form the prisoner's hand. The physician made | | | | The famous writer, Guy de Maupassant wrote a |
| suggestions to the effect that he was bleeding to | | | | story entitled "A Piece of String." It is the story |
| death. In a short time the prisoner died showing all | | | | of a man who saw a string on a busy market |
| symptoms of cerebral anemia. though he never | | | | place. He bent down and picked it up thinking he |
| lost any blood. Here again death was the result of | | | | could use it. He was accused of picking up a lost |
| stress created by his mind. | | | | wallet and was arrested and put in prison. |
| Dr. Holmes and Dr. Rahe of the University of | | | | Fortunately, the wallet was found the next day. |
| Washington Medical School, Seattle, interviewed | | | | This man could not get over the insult and |
| many sick people and found that their ailment | | | | indignities he suffered. He brooded over it day and |
| could be related to stress they had suffered | | | | night. The piece of string had become an |
| during the two previous years. They came up | | | | obsession. He neglected his work and went from |
| with a check list of 43 items to which they gave | | | | person to person complaining of how he had been |
| numerical values. For instance: | | | | wrongly arrested and imprisoned. He died of a |
| For death of a spouse they gave 100 | | | | broken heart mumbling "A piece of string." |
| pointsdivorce 73personal injury or illness | | | | The piece of string became an obsession because |
| 50retirement 45trouble with the boss 23 | | | | he was finding fault with himself for having picked |
| Christmas 12 | | | | up the piece of string. If he had focussed on the |
| They found that if our score in one year is over | | | | person who accused him and forgiven him, the |
| 300 points, we have a 90% chance of falling | | | | obsession would not have persisted, for he would |
| seriously ill during the next few years. | | | | have had to forget the offence and forgive the |
| Homes-Rahe test is widely used for statistical | | | | offender. |
| analysis of the health of army personnel in the | | | | A wise man once said that when a person |
| U.S. | | | | undresses for bed at night, he should also undress |
| It is now an admitted fact that 50% to 80% of | | | | his mind from the mistakes and failures of the |
| all diseases are psychosomatic. Many cases of | | | | day. The art of forgetting is a virtue we ought to |
| cancer are attributable to social stress. Ulcers, high | | | | acquire. |
| blood pressure, arthritis, chronic back pain, skin | | | | Second method to eliminate stress is forgiveness |
| disorders, headaches, allergies, upset stomachs, | | | | of the offender. Forgive others for the offenses |
| asthma, hay fever, impotence, insomnia, diabetes | | | | they have committed against you. We read in the |
| and alcoholism are considered to be stress related. | | | | Gospel "Forgive if ye have ought against any." |
| High school football players from families having | | | | Some people say, "I can forgive but I cannot |
| stress problems are likely to suffer more serious | | | | forget." Henry Ward Beecher, the famous |
| injuries than those from other families. | | | | American preacher at Brooklyn, New York, said |
| But by anticipation we invite accidents to happen. | | | | "Such a statement is another way of saying that |
| Therefore, when stress comes, recognize the | | | | I will not forgive." |
| stress but realize and be confident that some | | | | Benjamin Franklin said, "It is the lot of man to |
| good is coming and look out for that good that is | | | | suffer. It is also his fortune to forget." and we |
| coming. | | | | forget because we must and not because we will. |
| When we cultivate this habit, stress will always | | | | Little vicious minds abound with anger and |
| end up as a benefit. Try it, expect it and see that | | | | revenge and are incapable of feeling the pleasure |
| it happens every time | | | | of forgiving their enemies. You will experience the |
| In addition to worries about health and petty | | | | release of strain, the relaxation of body and mind |
| things, we have a long list of "what if's". For | | | | when you forgive a person. You have no idea |
| example, "What if my house is robbed when I am | | | | what great treasure lies in store for you until you |
| away?" You know the story of the woman who | | | | experience it. For your own sake, for your own |
| had 23 padlocks and 20 dogs to guard her for | | | | peace of mind, for your own health, for your own |
| she feared she would be robbed, raped, and | | | | joy, learn to forgive. |
| murdered. She spent sleepless nights in fear and | | | | The third method is to control our brain waves. |
| trembling. | | | | Learning to control our brain waves will bring great |
| Some of us worry about what others think about | | | | joy and pleasure . Meditation and yoga are the |
| us. If we knew how little they thought about us, if | | | | initial methods for learning to control brain waves. |
| ever they did, we would get over that worry in a | | | | Biofeedback also enables a person to control brain |
| hurry. | | | | waves and thereby gain control over stress. |
| The interesting fact is that though worry is the | | | | Finally, when we search earnestly for the purpose |
| cause of so much stress, worry can be imaginary. | | | | of our lives and the Creator's purpose in creating |
| 40% of your worries may never happen | | | | the universe, with all the living beings with human |
| 30% of your worries are about events that have | | | | beings in the top rung, with the highest power of |
| already happened and nothing can be done about | | | | deduction and induction among all, we will realize |
| them | | | | that the Creator was looking for companionship. |
| 10% of your worries are about petty things | | | | The stresses we experience throughout our lives |
| 12% of your worries are about your health or | | | | are challenges to make us strong and fitting |
| diet, your weight, etc. and will only aggravate the | | | | companions for the Creator. |
