Don't Blink, and Let it Go!

Don’t Blink and Let it Go

So often we hear that as adults we are stressed in our daily lives, that we are just so busy, we are running in all directions.   When I hear this, and live it myself at times, I am reminded of a line from one of my all time favorite movies, Shawshank Redemption, when Brooks says -- "The world went in got in a big darn hurry.”  

Stress strains relationships. Stress makes parenting significantly more difficult. Stress has serious health ramifications.  The top ten causes of stress, according to the American Psychological Association (2013) American Institute of Stress, are job pressure, money, health, relationships, poor nutrition, media overload, and sleep deprivation.

So what are we stressed about? Why are we so busy? Far too often we get caught up in and bogged down with the minutia of life.  Funny how it is possible to be caught up and bogged down at the same time isn't it? Whether it be the arguments that ensue from getting kids ready in the morning while doing their hair, the task of completing homework, or getting them to bed, we must  find pleasure in the fact that we have a child to do these things with no matter how stressful or frustrating the tasks may seem at the moment.  

The busyness of today sometimes creates a void, and with an onslaught of events, we would benefit from the words that Kenny Chesney poignantly states in his 2007 hit song, “So I've been trying to slow it down, I've been trying to take it in, In this 'here today, gone tomorrow' world we're living in, So don't blink.”  Quite simply we need to find a way to enjoy these times we have, we had, "Best start putting first things first 'Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand, You can't flip it over and start again.”

Far too often busyness and stress can cause us to focus on what we believe to be urgent instead of what matters most, and our priorities become somewhat skewed.  We focus on our to-do list instead of our children and worry about our own survival instead of building thriving relationships.  Busyness and stress keep us from caring about the people and things we are supposed to care about.

My good friend Jason Barger recently reminded me of this and it became the entire premise of his book, Stepback from the Baggage Claim.  Like many fathers, I would guess you have heard your children sing over and over again  “Let it go, let it go!” This song has echoed throughout our house.  Reese, along with every other five year old has been singing the hit song from the movie, Frozen.  More recently I have even seen this song  being used in educational settings, and to help relax children, having sort of a yoga effect. From all over the house we are reminded to “Let it go, let it go!”

You know our children sometimes understand, or “get it” sooner than we do, maybe we do need to keep our eyes wide open, and learn to just let it go.

Monthly Quote:

“One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren't enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress.”  - Viggo Mortensen

Monthly Challenge:

Since we all face stress, take time to Implement these four steps when dealing with stress provided by All Pro Dad:

1. Reprioritize what is most important
2. Take a step toward health
3. Nurture Family Relationships
4. Manage Media Consumption