Tag Archives: think about it

Good Stress? Is there Such a Thing?

I have always thought of stress as a bad thing. Something we all should avoid. It seems that is what I have been told as long as I can remember. Stress can kill you.

Then the other day I had a paradigm shift. Talking with a friend about stress. She suggested that not all stress is bad. “There is good stress as well.”

“Really, how do you mean?” I inquired.

“Think about it.” she replied, “When you have done something that you know needs doing, don’t you feel better after you have done it?”

“You mean like brushing my dogs regularly?”

“Yes! That’s good stress, because it prompts you, and once you have taken care of the matter, you feel better.”

Hmmm…interesting…

So, I did think about it and put it to the test. I found she was quite right! These little examples may seem small, however, managing them made me feel much better!

These plants have been needing to be in the garden for awhile…
Done! Now they will flourish and make me smile.
This trimmer has been waiting to be put back in the tack room…
That took about 45 seconds. Back where they belong.
Hay strewn all over the barn—not good…
A two minute sweep job does the trick and improves my mindset.
A groomed dog always improves my attitude.

Does this make any sense?

As my friend said: Think about it!

Happy Tuesday!

Would You Ever Notice?

Our time is not our own anymore, or at the very least, we have given it away. Knowingly and willingly we daily spurn our limited, precious hours away. How? Think about it. Chart the course of your own typical day. Keep an account of just how you spend every hour of it. Be honest with yourself. What did you find?

Perhaps you discovered hours of your day has been willingly given away to your device. Do you own your own time, or does the device own it? Do you even care?

Truly, our time is not our own. It is a gift. It has been given to us and can be taken away in a moments notice. We all know someone who has suddenly died.

So then, do we treat time as if it is an unlimited commodity, or worse yet, as if it were nothing?

Here is my ultimate question and point of this blog post:

If the birds stopped their singing today, would you even notice?

A beautiful Mockingbird singing his melodious songs.
Love the Kiptopeke birds.
A sassy King bird.
Eggs of our sweet Plovers.
Gorgeous Meadowlarks.
Our beloved Barn Swallows.
Our amazing Hummingbirds.
Never forget our State bird—the Cardinal.
The sweet, sweet Kildeer (aka Plover).
Our gorgeous, sharing Bohemian Waxwings.
And last but surely not least, our diminutive, cheerful Goldfinch.

I ask again—would you ever miss them if they stopped singing?

Do you hear the birds?