Having drive, goals and love keeps us alive. They are important for longevity. The things we care about are the things that cause stress when things aren’t working out. Some stress is unavoidable and we are forced into it. A single mother trying to make a living isn’t going to be able to avoid it.

There are different kinds of stress too. Not all is fight or flight. Each kind cause our bodies to react differently. We can have nerves before a stage performance, a test, work, and fear of losing a loved one.What they all have in common is the caring part along with fear of a disappointing outcome. The unhealthy response to stress is avoidance and fear.

Calling stress bad is wrong since it is healthy to care about people and things. Telling people to avoid it rather than face it is what is unhealthy. Our physical stress response should be embraced since it is a flag concerning something we care about. We should then look at the realities as a welcome sight with confidence in our ability to work with them.

This isn’t just positive thinking but making sure we don’t fall into a defeatist attitude. Time spent there is always wasted. The things that are worthwhile aren’t easy to get. So if we choose hard things why not enjoy the challenges along the way?

We have all had those moments where we had enough and all you could do is smile at the challenge. How dare it present itself! This is what I am talking about. No more cowering or hiding out but instead boldness while acknowledging the realities. Those of us who are aggressive and hard driving have a tough time with this. This is another reality to embrace. People with passion have to watch the extremes with more care. But having passion is one of the gifts life gives us.