Stress....

People close to me often ask why I do not appear more "stressed out" than I do. They are quick to point out the challenges before me and to share how they would react if faced with similar circumstances.

• I was recently out of work for 5 months (and blew through a lot of savings during that time)
• My current position, a 4-month contract, ends the first week in July
• That MBA is coming back to haunt me with student loan payments starting in July
• I'm driving a new business that is completely unproven and lacks a foundation of clients to support it

Well, that does seem daunting. Perhaps I should freak out. But, then again, what does "freaking out" really accomplish for me? I suppose I could garner some sympathy (at least for a little while) or burn some extra calories from sobbing or running around hyperventilating. That's just not me though.

The advice I'd give to anyone facing significant challenges is to get out and do something.

I found solace at the gym during my 5 months of unemployment and managed to lose 40 pounds. Perhaps not the best strategy during a time that I could not afford the new wardrobe necessary to clothe my newly sized self, but it certainly fulfilled a need for accomplishment.

I've also met a ton of great people by attending a dozen different networking events all over town. While my list of client potential is still small from these events, I've met people with supporting services (which could lead to business leads), people who provide business support (which could lead to new, low cost options to market my business), and a small group of very like-minded, positive individuals that make me believe that hard work and positivity will pay off in the long run.

We all reach challenging times in our lives. The choice we each have is to either look beyond them and begin to shape what is to come, or to focus too much in our current reality and fear the same.

I vote for the "glass half full" method.

ZW

http://www.azmobilehr.com/