ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

9 From Stressed to Blessed

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2).

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A man was pushing a cart in a supermarket that contained, in addition to his groceries, a screaming baby.As he proceeded back and forth in the aisles, he continued repeating softly, “Keep calm, George. Don’t get excited, George. Don’t yell, George.” A lady, watching in admiration nearby, said, “You are certainly to be commended for your patience in trying to quiet little George.” “Lady,” he declared, “I’m George. In this tightly wound world, we’ve all felt like George more times than we’d like to admit.Traffic jams, economic uncertainty, constant activity, school violence, and global terrorism are just a few of the reasons our nerves stay frayed. Webster defines stress as a “constraining force or influence . . . a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” Simply stated, stress comes when expectations exceed results. For example,

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