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You Don't Have To Be the Victim to Stress

Seems like lately I've seen a lot of posts about stress and anxiety being terrible and traumatic.

Stress gets this terrible wrap, and it seems like most posts talk about the stress response simply being the 4 "F's":

• Fight,
• Flight,
• Freeze, or 
• Fawn

But these posts completely ignore all of the other possible responses to stress. 

Human beings are capable of so many other options when it come to stress response. 

Stress has gotten a bad wrap for years. 

I remember learning in college that "Stress is a silent killer."

One college class taught that I needed to minimize, manage, and avoid stress. 

The problem, we live in a world were people, parents, and teens are doing everything in their power to avoid stress. 

What If Stress Isn't A Problem?

I want you to think about some of the greatest people that you know, . . . 

. . . people who have really accomplished something and had a powerful impact in the world and possible in your life . . . 

. . . people who really inspire and impress you . . . 

Then think about this, . . . 

• What is so wonderful about them?
• What about them has impacted/inspired you?
• Have they experienced stress?
• How did they respond to stress?

The current narrative around stress and anxiety makes it sound like stress equals "game over" or that it's time to stop doing what you're doing. 

This narrative gives stress debilitating power to hold you back and limit your growth.

Recently, I watched a documentary about Steve Young, the legendary BYU and 49er quarterback. 

Most of his college career was extremely stressful, then in the NFL he was engaged in a stressful and heated quarterback controversy with Joe Montana.

He mentioned how this stress pushed him to try harder, to learn new things, and to become more than he would have without the stress. 

There are countless stories about the power of stress from professional athletes to movie stars, powerful leaders, to people in your own life who you look up to. 

What if stress isn't the problem?

What if stress is the answer?

Stress Can Make You Stronger

Recently I read an article that stated that stress isn't actually bad, it's the perception that stress is bad that makes it so harmful. 

When you look at professional athletes, they regularly subject their physical bodies to physical stress to get bigger and stronger. 

The professional athletes who go down in the history books the GOATS, are part of the most stressful high pressure games, and they thrive.

Just like professional athletes, your stressors can be the mental and emotional workout that makes you mentally and emotionally stronger. 

Some of the greatest figures in world history were the product of very stressful lives. 

Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years. He was subjected to a lot of stress, and this helped him become the man he was, and a global leader. 

Stop lookin at stress as a problem, and start looking at it as an opportunity. 

Options for a Better Stress Response...

Check them out at https://firmlyfoundedparent.com/106

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