Retreat

Refusing to let it get the best of me…

Understanding the sources of why I am stressed has its pros and cons. When I think about why I am stressed from being involved to having a particular course load I hate putting the blame on others. It is easy to be stressed out when you do not feel an instructor is adequately teaching a course or things come up during time you have planned to study. I have found that I get more upset with myself for not getting done with certain things sooner and letting a workload pile up. I stress myself out every day when I have not accomplished all that I have set out to.  When I do not get something done as planned that then gets pushed back into the next day, I then have to keep thinking about it every time I think of all I still need to do which adds to more stress.

I manage stress a lot of times by finding an escape and getting out of my own thoughts by concentrating on something else. I love to read and that is a great outlet for me.  I can get consumed in someone else’s life then return to mine. I also never have time to watch television shows when they come on, being able to take a few hours and catch up helps as well.

Being more productive in the manner I want I think will help. I get upset when things do not meet my expectations. With life not being predictable I need to take time to let more things roll off and not let it consume my thoughts. Being an introvert most of my ways to relieve stress are solitude activities like reading but at some point getting away helps. Going shopping with friends, just hanging out, going to church etc. are also things that help me not be as stressed out. Its good talking to everyone around me and us having the commonality that we are all overwhelmed at times.

Success...A Lonely Road?

My definition of success has changed in many ways. I use to believe that my success completely depended on me and my capabilities. I thought that success was something that I needed to achieve in every area of my life in order to feel like I was accomplishing something. Many times for success we compare ourselves to others, try we set attainable goals and strive for excellence.

I have heard the expression “It’s not about the destination but the journey” a lot. With the way I view success, I appreciate all the little things that build up but if my end result is not something that I am proud of or I felt I could do better then I am not happy nor do I feel successful.

My view of success is much more inclusive now. My success is affected by those around me much more than I ever realized. I am who I am because of all that I am able to learn and take in from others. I am very intrinsically motivated and tend not to want to depend on others. For me to be successful I want to achieve all that I can but never lose contact with those around me. I want to continue to have a need to want to give back and make others’ lives better. Being in business I definitely want to climb the corporate ladder but not at in a way that compromises who I am. I want the best of both worlds and have a work life balance.

In a “hypothetically situation” I could see my view of success being different from others if I had to sacrifice my beliefs in order to become part of an organization or work better with a group. I have been in this position before but I refuse to be less of who I am or change in ways that I do not want to. The best way to get around doing is I would simply remove myself from the group if I could.   

Using Leadership Skills