We are a culture that is obsessed with stress. Everywhere you look there are books and articles with 'stress-buster' tips. There are countless products—everything from special teas and lotions to relaxation audios to spa packages—designed to help you relieve the stress in your life.The thing is, however, that a great many successful people I know seem to like stress. Not only are they not looking to eliminate it from their lives, often they are actually seeking it out. I can say for myself, for example, that when I first had the idea to build the campus here in Scottsdale, I knew it was going to add a whole new dimension of stress to my life. And it did. And it was great.
Stress Isn't Always 'Bad'
Of course, it becomes important here to differentiate between different kinds of stress. There is a kind of stress—the kind that comes with endless money worries and packed schedules and staff issues—that can indeed become a drain on one's energies and can become a detrimental force in life.
But then there is the stress that energizes and inspires. It's the kind of stress that comes from the tension between what you are doing now and what you know you can do tomorrow. It's a good kind of stress, in the sense that it is the opposite of comfort—and we all know that a comfort zone is the enemy of progress.
To me, the secret of dealing with stress is simply to focus on having the right kind of it. I want good, proactive stress in my life. I don't want to be emotionally bogged down with the same tedious problems. I want to always be dealing with issues that arise from growth and opportunity. That's the kind of stress I can embrace. What's more, it is the kind of stress that drives out the petty stresses that come with living in a comfort zone.
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