Have you ever heard the saying, “the only way through is through”? I have had to remind myself of this sentiment a lot of late. Life has challenged and pushed me to what feels like my very limit over the last two months. I have deeply reevaluated my priorities and what is of real importance to me. Life has pushed my stress management skills to the brink – and nearly to failure.
Can anyone else relate?
Two months ago, my dad had a heart attack. None of our family, including him, knew that anything was wrong. He had what is known as a “silent heart attack.” Three days after the heart attack, he was transported to a different hospital to have what would turn out to be a quintuple bypass surgery (yes, that’s FIVE bypasses! The heart had already done one by itself so that’s SIX!). To say that this turn of events was a shock to our family would be the understatement of the century. My dad is my hero and my biggest cheerleader. And while I know that eventually, I won’t have him around anymore – I am not ready for that time to be now.
As soon as I found out something had happened to him, my stress levels skyrocketed. As you can probably imagine, the cortisol in my body continued to pump out for two weeks, until we could get him home from the hospital and settled.
The same week we got to bring Dad home, yet another stressful situation presented itself in my life. I was in a car accident. I was rear-ended, and my car had significant damage. To make matters worse, the other driver was uninsured.
*** ENTER SKYROCKETING STRESS LEVELS AGAIN***
The day after the accident, I began to feel a bit sorry for myself. Then, I remember this thought going through my head: “Listen, Sister – this is the reality of the situation. It’s inconvenient to be SURE, but you are alive and unhurt. So, you have a choice here, and I say the only way through this is right through it.”
The bottom line is this: I had to make a decision to CHANGE MY MIND about my situation so I could get my stress levels back under control and my mind back in the game.
Is this easy? Absolutely not. Is it necessary? Absolutely.
I am thrilled to tell you that my Dad is doing well, and I am doing my best to get caught up from being out of my office for almost a month. I’m ready to bring us together as a tribe and get this course underway! Thank you for being patient as I help my Mom navigate this challenging situation. I am certainly taking my own advice and remembering that ‘the only way through is through.’
If this resonates at all with you, I encourage you to join the waitlist for my course, Women & Stress: Reclaiming Your Life. This course takes you on a deep dive into the Female Stress Syndrome and what you can do about it. I’ll show you ways to get your own stress levels under control and regain your life.
Additionally, when you add your name to the waiting list, you’ll receive my new FREE Reflection Journal. It will help start you down a more stress-free path immediately!
I believe that the lessons this challenge has been teaching me isn’t just for me. I believe that I am experiencing these challenges to have a deeper understanding of how I can better help YOU navigate the stressful challenges in your life. And I look forward to doing so very soon.
