STRESS...…the moment anyone hears the word, the only thought that comes to mind are negative emotions - depression, headaches, dizziness, chest-pains, gastric ulcers, high blood pressure, etc. No one in their right mind would equate stress with benefits….right?

In the animal kingdom, all species of life forms are aware of the necessity of having stress in various aspects of their life. It is accepted as a way to increase one’s chances of survival.  For example, look at the caterpillar in the cocoon. It has to struggle and force its way out of its tight cocoon. The whole process forces fluid to surge into its wings so that the wings will have the strength to fly. In this way, the humble caterpillar becomes a dazzling butterfly.

Even the plant kingdom is not spared of having a stress free environment. In the scorching desert heat, cacti like The Queen of the Night, blooms only for a period of 12 hours each year.

Night blooming cacti, like the queen of the night, bloom later than day-blooming cacti as they have to wait for night temperatures to reach a certain level for their pollinators to come out. One of the biggest pollinators is the sphinx moth. If the moth is successfully pollinates the flower, the plant will produce a bright scarlet fruit with many black seeds.

If your feelings are constantly plagued by stress, take a lesson from the above situations. The caterpillar will forever be deformed and unable to fly; the Queen of the night will never bloom if not for the necessary harsh conditions. So, instead of asking yourself, “Why do I have to go through this?” ask yourself what you gained from that experience.

Why should an unfavorable situation be only viewed as something to get over, why not look upon it as lesson to sharpen your senses, enhance your experience, increase your general knowledge, let your maturity bloom, obtain all tools needed to launch yourself higher………etc.

People generally are so hooked up on their sense of stability that they fight against changes; not knowing that only with change comes’ progress. By fighting against change they make their experiences harder than they have to be.

Stay focused and use stress to take you closer to the flower or butterfly you want to become.

"Even too much sunshine can be devastating, while only with rain can growth occur. Accept both as part of the growing process in the garden of life."
— Donald S. Neviaser, from the Inner View