Know When to Hold ‘Em
These last two years seemed all about the choices we constantly were making, even when it didn’t feel like choosing. And now we have to deal with those.
The famous song about choosing I’ve been hearing in my head was written by a 23-year old unknown composer. Made famous by Kenny Rogers. The Gambler. It’s about the cards in your hand, in the game of life.
“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away, know when to run.”
The song goes on: “the secret to survivin’ is knowin’ what to throw away, and knowin’ what to keep.”
So we’ve had to spend time choosing what we hold onto, and what we walk away from. Our jobs, careers, with whom we spend time, and what we focus on have all been in flux.
Nothing looks like it did, except the stress. The warning signs are the same. According to the American Institute of Stress (my favorite source for my second book, “Bless Your Stress: It Means You’re Still Alive,”) here are some stress warning signs:
–hostility, anger
–time urgency
–perfectionism
–disappointment
–burnout
Feel familiar? You are not alone. What is there to do? First, recognize the triggers, and identify them. The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory measures our susceptibility to stress-induces health breakdowns. Any major change, whether we label it good or bad, causes stress. “Marriage” is only a few points lower than “divorce.” “Vacation” is right above “traffic tickets” on the stress scale.
So, yes, we have been through the mill. The way out is to keep choosing. We can recognize, so we can act. Some of our triggers are internally sourced. We can act there, too. I have always looked at three areas of upset, or stress:
–unfulfilled expectations
–undelivered communications
–thwarted intentions
We deal with the things we choose to hold onto—with resilience. Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties—to spring back into shape.
We clean it up where we can. That’s responsibility.
We reduce our stress, by letting go of the cards (choices) we folded and walked away from.
We recharge and re-engage with the cards we choose to hold.
I’m an expert in helping you to do that last thing, so let’s recharge your business with new words!
Please call me to schedule your FREE 30-minute clarity call to help you create your work of art.
[Featured Image Credit: MedVisit]