I would like to share some ideas about all the stress management techniques that we hear so much about. Do they really work? Is there some instrumental approach that allows us to avoid some serious thought and self-awareness to get results? The problem is that there really are some techniques and stress management tips that give a short term sense of success. I call it a problem because the price paid is procrastinating the real issue at stake: understanding ourselves and take clear responsibility on the choices we make.
I don’t think there is a better way to evaluate the quality of our learning and conscience than dealing with the consequences of very clear options taken on a spirit of proactivity and sovereignty. After all, we really are masters of our own life. Stress rises when we fear the consequences of bad choices, as ignorance may lead us to such misjudgements.
But, at the end of the day, success and failure share the same DNA: they both are an excellent way of analyzing the quality of our learning. And the learning depends on how lucid we are on the construction of the interpretations of what’s happening. Hence, we can manifest very poor learning in association to a success, and get a very high quality interpretation of a failure.
What I’m saying is that we can become really stressed with a success achieved and really liberated after a failure: if such thing is possible, can we be mistaken about the importance of not making errors and obsess with success? I think we really bought a lie. And it is no one’s fault. We can discover this by dealing with our ignorance and transcend it all.
We can start leaving from a point of courage and not fear. We act and observe what happens. Then we learn and prepare the next step; we try again and learn. Exactly the way we did when we were kids. Why stop doing that?
I found that my stress reduces hugely when I make a mistake after deciding with the best information and attitude possible. The failure is embraced with a lot more serenity and humility.
What I’m saying is that the learning is maximized and failure becomes a more powerful source of information than success. So, I like to have a healthy record and dosage of failures. It means a lot because no pride, fear or attachment is dictating my life. No time is lost with excuses or preoccupation.
Is there anything we can take with us after we die? Yes: we take the interpretation of life’s experience, and that choice is ours to make every time. I love that power!
I love the good stress that makes us feel alive and show courage as an antidote to fear! That’s a great life to manifest and story to build. Have fun!