Have you ever looked at your day and wondered how you were going to get through it? Sometimes it can be overwhelming and stressful. That stress can create frustration, anger, timidity, or even cause you to feel paralyzed and to procrastinate… (add your words here of what happens to you).
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had times when I just shut down and do busy work that does not require much focus. There is a cyclical impact when you put things off and just worry about what needs to be done. You know what I mean; you do other stuff and the stuff that is causing the stress is still there, needing to be done!
Nike probably has it right with their “Just Do It” mantra. Easier said than done; right?
I actually have a brand new solution that seems to work 100% of the time. Get ready, you may not want to read this. Those of you that know me understand that this year has been a real growth year for my family as my husband battles lymphoma. Many of you have faced cancer in your lives, so I think you’ll know what I mean.
In the beginning of the cancer journey, the Dr. had to fill out paperwork for JD’s employer. There was a line on the form that said Prognosis:_________________________. Crazy enough, I equate prognosis with outcome and can easily relate it to anything that needs to be done. With that in mind, I’ll finish the story.
Our Doc is straight to the point. If she stresses about anything it must be for only a single second. Also, she tells the truth. Here’s how this line on the form read–pretty simple, and extremely stressful!
Prognosis: Remission/Death
If I’m perfectly honest with you I can tell you that the STRESS of this one line on one form made all the other stresses in my life seem pretty minor. Perspective is a phenomenal thing. It might be hard to believe, but it has become the joke with our family. Remission/Death, and “It’s not cancer” have become inside jokes for us. So no matter how bad stuff is; no matter the stress of the day, week, or month– “It’s not cancer” is our mantra. And even then, when it IS cancer, there’s hope and love and a way to move forward.
As an update, Jerry went back to work last week. The doc had to fill out new forms and made some changes.
Prognosis: Good
You see, sometimes you just have to move through the hard stuff to get to the good stuff on the other side. May your days be filled with good stress, and when the bad stress creeps in and you feel immobilized just remember– “It’s not cancer.”
