One of the many indices that reflects the truth in the statement and the challenges or pressures that surround us in life is the stress and anxiety that people face daily. This has been a constant battle. For a place like mine, you can do a lot and gain little, much effort but little result and that alone can make one overly stressed and anxious about what the next minute holds.
It is never an easy ride with life. I reckon that yes, some were born into life with some privileges, but even with such persons there can be some underlying stress and anxiety pulling them down especially when they are trying to walk the path of purpose. These battles and challenges respect no man, though others may have it less than others.
What burdens me in this line is how the youth are now getting diagnosed with high blood pressure. It used to be a thing we see mostly with the old age group, but today even youth are found with this because of how much life is hitting a lot of people, the youth especially. There is pressure from society, home, friends, media and the necessity on the person's part to succeed.
In all of this, we really need to learn how to manage pressure, stress and anxiety. For me, it has not been an easy path towards learning some of that. There is no universal way to go about it, but everyone should learn how it works for them and what works for them. We can get stressed, anxious and maybe depressed, but we should never remain there.
First, the word of God and His ever-faithfulness stand as a guard and shield in times like that. Of course, I have had such experiences. In school and currently in life as a graduate, this has been helpful to me. When I seem to get overwhelmed by life's happenings; the hustle, toiling and fewer results, difficult times, and pressure from pursuing dreams and purpose, the word of God gives me comfort and confidence to rest in His beautiful promises.
I learnt to smile. That might sound awkward. I wrote a poem on this and what it encapsulated is how much pressure, stress and anxiety eat up when we absorb the energy. It channels itself through our system, harnessing the energy from within for its purpose. I see it that, we are like a conductor of what we absorb within us. So for me, I try not to be a magnet for these happenings, I try to dispel them rather. And a smile does it.
That has really been instrumental in this life's journey. There is more though. Sometimes, I escape or manage the pressures of life, anxieties and stress by a simple communion with nature. Nature is a healer and refresher. When I get in touch with it at such moments and I take in its beauty, radiance and freshness, it speaks “take it easy, calm down and go again.”
Images are mine.
