An important question these days . . . how do we deal with stress?  First, we have to understand that there are two kinds of stress, called enstress and distress.  Enstress is positive stress, the kind that motivates you to perform at your best.  Enstress pushes you to your limits.  Distress, on the other hand, is negative stress, the type of stress that overwhelms you, that pushes you past your limits into frustration and torment. 

Later this summer I will be releasing a new e-book, titled Outfluence for Positive Stress.  Here’s a preview.  In good times and in bad, we experience stress.  The current world situation is stressful to the point of distress.  To save yourself from being pushed into distress I recommend that you do three things: 

Avoid negative people.  Negative people enjoy involving others in their misery.  Take a few moments to assess a person’s situation and to encourage him.  However, if his negativity is impenetrable, you must move away. 

Connect, with positive people.  Albert Schweitzer was a humanitarian, a theologian, a missionary and a physician.  He said that occasionally darkness invades every person’s life, and our flame goes out but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.  The stress brought about by the death of a loved one, for example, is assuaged by family and friends gathering to mourn and to celebrate life.  Avoid distress by finding uplifting people who will rekindle the flame in your heart.

Turn – turn lemons into lemonade.  We all make poor decisions, we make mistakes, bad things happen to good people.  But when we find ways to turn those negative moments into positive activities, we overcome stress.    

In other words, we have to A-C-T, we have to Act, we have to take action if we are to deal with stress.