Stress is stress

"For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it.  When you come to a roadblock, take a detour."
- Mary Kay Ash 



Bad stress.....bad bad stress.... Every where I read articles about bad stress....don't be stressed it is bad for you.  Always when talking about stress they talk about bad stress and how bad it is.  I've had my fair share of stress.  One of the things that puzzle people is when I react badly to good or even great events.  People tend to forget the big events that we want to happen still cause stress reactions.  Blood pressure goes up, adrenalin pumps into my body, and heart rate accelerates and the body reacts to the Good stress about the same way as the bad stress.  So stress is in my life.  My mother studied Hans Selye, the guy that named stress as it is used today.  http://www.stress.org/about/hans-selye-birth-of-stress/ I listened to her talk about his writing so much, I haven't bothered to read his book myself.   However, I do read articles and other information.  One of the side lights I learned is you can't live without stress.  Some people will purposely create stress if things get too quiet. (You know the ones that create drama where ever they go.)  The world revolves around stress, literally.  The spinning of our planet is in a constant tug of war with the sun's gravitational pull.  Too much and we would be sucked into the sun, not enough we would fly out into space and never have to worry about global warming.  So we hurtle through space revolving around the sun, enjoying different seasons, and blessed with stress because we are still stuck to the planet.  Yup, a certain amount of stress is essential.  Unfortunately, I'm in the unhealthy habit of being determined to do everything I am asked to do to my detriment.  I realize that my present stress at work is being caught between people that I have no control over each asking and expecting me to do something different.  I have a meeting tomorrow with one of the administrators.  I hope to be able to convey that I am willing to do what I can to help the students succeed.  I just don't want to get caught in a turf war between district, school, and grant funding requirements.  I feel the tension and resentment from both sides and my reaction is a desire to crawl under my bed and wait for the storm to blow over.  That option would leave me without a job.  I feel a bit like a kid going in front of the principal because somebody else told them I was being bad when I didn't know the rules.  Triggers galore. 

Goals for tomorrow:
1. Calmly explain my perspective. 
2. Reassert my willingness to help where needed. 
3. Gently remind them it is not my responsibility to solve their turf war. 

I am looking forward to an opportunity to say what I am concerned about.  This is a good stress but I'm still stressed.  Brownies in chocolate pudding is lovely self medication for this type of stress and yes I will be exercising extra.  Please, send prayers and good vibes my way as I tackle the goal to communicate peacefully my desire to be helpful without saying the wrong thing.  (No, I may not refer to a person as a 'dumb ass.')