Have you ever been weighed down by stress?  You know the situations that we all experience that cause us to have anxiety, not knowing what will come next.

Whether school, work, family life, or taking care of the kids, what we consider negative circumstances tend to inevitably arise in every aspect of our lives.  But in the midst of all of these negative situations that may show up in our lives is it possible to not stress?

Top Causes of Stress in the U.S. (The Cause and Factors)

Job Pressure – Co-Worker Tension, Bosses, Work Overload

Money – Loss of Job, Reduced Retirement, Medical Expenses

Health – Health Crisis, Terminal or Chronic Illness

Relationships – Divorce, Death of Spouse, Arguments with Friends, Loneliness

Poor Nutrition – Inadequate Nutrition, Caffeine, Processed Foods, Refined Sugars

Media Overload – Television, Radio, Internet, E-Mail, Social Networking

Sleep Deprivation – Inability to release adrenaline and other stress hormones

80% of the working class feels stress on the job and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. 

And 42% say their co-workers need such help – American Institute of Stress.

Physical symptoms of stress include:

– fatigue (51%);

– headache (44%);

– upset stomach (34%);

– muscle tension (30%);

– change in appetite (23%);

– teeth grinding (17%);

– change in sex drive (15%);

– feeling dizzy (13%).

Psychological effects of stress include:

– experiencing irritability or anger (50%);

– feeling nervous (45%);

– lack of energy (45%);

– feeling as though you could cry (35%).

About half of Americans (48%) report lying awake at night due to stress.

– One-third of Americans feel they are living with extreme stress, with money and work being the leading causes of stress (mentioned by three quarters of Americans).

“American Psychological Association study.”

Let’s go back to the first question, “In the midst of all of these negative situations that manifest in our lives is it possible to not stress?

Yes, it’s possible, and sometimes that low feeling is beneficial to experience. Here’s an example from nature…

That low feeling, being down and out not knowing what's coming next can be considered a very stressful situation.  Some would call it feeling low as dirt.  Likewise, the lowest part of nature noticeably is the dirt, or soil.  So let’s take a look at dirt for what it really is:

The word human actually has a Latin root “hum” that come from the word low, dirt, or ground.  This is the same root that is found in humanity, and also what we refer to ourselves as, human beings.  The words humble, humanity, humane, and humanitarian have roots that all relate to the earth, ground, or the dirt.  Many good things come from this substance.  For example, trees, plants, and flowers come from this part of the earth.  Beautiful flowers (even the one’s you see on Valentines day) in every imaginable color conceivable to mankind come from dirt.  If you want to grow a garden, you need dirt.  If someone wants to build a house, the architects have to first dig deep into the ground, into the soil.  Trees start small and grow into large entities, and their roots are implanted deeply into the hum or the dirt.  Trees can produce any and every kind of fruit you can think of.  Food comes from soil, vegetables grow from soil and are picked from fields.  If all of these things came from one of the lowest, darkest aspects of mother nature, why let the low places of your life make you feel hopeless?  The dirt of this earth, even the dirt in our lives, the lowest situations, have the ability to produce the most.  Simply put, no matter how bad the situation, something good can always come out of it.  You can’t get lower than dirt, so when we feel the lowest, that is truly the best time we have to look straight up and see where we truly need to be.  Just as a seed moves upward, you must continue to move upward in every aspect of your life.

What better way to move upward than to think positive of negatives; so let’s look at something as simple as dirt (those things that way you down) as an extremely valuable resource to our lives, with the ability to produce great lasting results.  Don’t get discouraged whether at school, on the job, or at home.  Just as a seed that is ready to grow into its full potential, we too can adapt and grow in the midst of any circumstance.  Look at the negatives as positives that will reshape you, mold you, and help you overcome the biggest obstacles.

Negatives inevitably come in life, but what really matters is the way we look at them, and our ability to press through the dirt just as a strong, determined seed.  Look at the negative as positive, because in reality it helps you grow, only if you don’t quit. Push through the pain, and keep moving forward!

Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

Jeremiah 17:8 “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

Contributing Writer, Phillip Link

Phillip Link is the founder of Chef and King International, Inc.  He was inspired to start Chef and King International in college after he realized that God was the one ultimately taking care of him as a Chef who feeds, and a King who leads.  He now spreads this message firmly believing that God gives this same endless provision to His children through the ultimate gifts of His love and grace.

Contact Phillip Link by email at philliplink@chefandking.org