I call it the "Disney Test" and it goes something
like this. No matter how much you meditate, breathe, pray and
practice emotional mastery the real test of whether you are
the master of your emotional domain is how you respond when
its 100 degrees in the middle of July and your kids are
experiencing a category 5 meltdown in front of Cinderella's
castle. Mickey's smiling, Goofy's dancing and your child is
standing in the middle of the Magic Kingdom crying like he
just saw a ghost in the House of Terror.
I've seen Dad's shake their kids and say, "You're going to
have fun whether you like it or not!!" People walk by them
shaking their heads thinking, "I sure do remember those days,
boy am I glad that's not me!" I've watched parents crying on
the floor with their kids. I've witnessed families completely
lose it. What should be the best of times turns out to be a
complete disaster. And, in all honesty, I must admit, I know
of all of this from first hand experience. No, that wasn't a
big kid you saw crying as they got off Space Mountain... that
was me. :)
So you could imagine that I was completely thrilled when a
week before our trip to Sea World I received an email from a
wonderful person with the quote "Too Blessed to Be Stressed"
in response to a chapter I wrote about gratitude in my book
Energy
Addict.
There we were, the Gordon Family, walking around Sea World
repeating "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" anytime we dealt with a
stressful situation. It sounds funny but it really worked! One
time the kids were crying in unison because they wanted
ice-cream and toys. My wife and I just looked at each other
and said, "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" and started laughing.
We were holding firm and were not going to let them break us
down. By golly we were going to have fun in spite of them. :)
For those who haven't read my books yet (I explain the
neuroscience and positive psychology in The
10-Minute Energy Solution), the reason why this
simple, powerful saying works so well is because it is
physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the
same time. It's the way our brains our wired. When we focus on
gratitude and blessings we can't be focusing on the stresses
in our life. Instead of flooding our body and brains with
stress hormones that age and drain us, we fuel our mind and
body with emotions that make us feel great and help us
overcome the daily challenges that so often sabotage our joy
and happiness.
So the next time you are dealing with a stressful situation
remember, "Too Blessed to Be Stressed." When you are focused
on your blessings you won't be thinking about your
stress-ings!
When the work is piled high on your desk, think about how
thankful you are to even have a job while so many are
unemployed. When work is driving you crazy think about the
fact that you are healthy enough to work. When you are sitting
in traffic be thankful you can drive a car while so many have
to walk miles just to get clean water. When the restaurant
messes up your meal think about how many unfed mouths there
are in the world. And as I told my Dad who lost the love of
his life-my mother, "You had the kind of love for so many
years that many people spend a lifetime searching for and
never find. Let's be thankful for that."
Just as the sun is always shining behind the clouds, there
is always something to be thankful for in the midst of a
stressful-dark moment. When you remember you are blessed you
won't be stressed. When you're feeling down and blue remember
the words "Thank You" and say "I'm Too Blessed to Be
Stressed." This will help you not only find joy and peace in
the Magic Kingdom but also experience the magic in every day
life.
Sending Positive Energy Your Way,
- Jon
