Too Blessed to be Stressed

I call it the "Disney Test" and it goes something like this. No matter how much you meditate, breathe, pray and practice emotional mastery the real test of whether you are the master of your emotional domain is how you respond when its 100 degrees in the middle of July and your kids are experiencing a category 5 meltdown in front of Cinderella's castle. Mickey's smiling, Goofy's dancing and your child is standing in the middle of the Magic Kingdom crying like he just saw a ghost in the House of Terror.

I've seen Dad's shake their kids and say, "You're going to have fun whether you like it or not!!" People walk by them shaking their heads thinking, "I sure do remember those days, boy am I glad that's not me!" I've watched parents crying on the floor with their kids. I've witnessed families completely lose it. What should be the best of times turns out to be a complete disaster. And, in all honesty, I must admit, I know of all of this from first hand experience. No, that wasn't a big kid you saw crying as they got off Space Mountain... that was me. :)

So you could imagine that I was completely thrilled when a week before our trip to Sea World I received an email from a wonderful person with the quote "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" in response to a chapter I wrote about gratitude in my book Energy Addict.

There we were, the Gordon Family, walking around Sea World repeating "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" anytime we dealt with a stressful situation. It sounds funny but it really worked! One time the kids were crying in unison because they wanted ice-cream and toys. My wife and I just looked at each other and said, "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" and started laughing. We were holding firm and were not going to let them break us down. By golly we were going to have fun in spite of them. :)

For those who haven't read my books yet (I explain the neuroscience and positive psychology in The 10-Minute Energy Solution), the reason why this simple, powerful saying works so well is because it is physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. It's the way our brains our wired. When we focus on gratitude and blessings we can't be focusing on the stresses in our life. Instead of flooding our body and brains with stress hormones that age and drain us, we fuel our mind and body with emotions that make us feel great and help us overcome the daily challenges that so often sabotage our joy and happiness.

So the next time you are dealing with a stressful situation remember, "Too Blessed to Be Stressed." When you are focused on your blessings you won't be thinking about your stress-ings!

When the work is piled high on your desk, think about how thankful you are to even have a job while so many are unemployed. When work is driving you crazy think about the fact that you are healthy enough to work. When you are sitting in traffic be thankful you can drive a car while so many have to walk miles just to get clean water. When the restaurant messes up your meal think about how many unfed mouths there are in the world. And as I told my Dad who lost the love of his life-my mother, "You had the kind of love for so many years that many people spend a lifetime searching for and never find. Let's be thankful for that."

Just as the sun is always shining behind the clouds, there is always something to be thankful for in the midst of a stressful-dark moment. When you remember you are blessed you won't be stressed. When you're feeling down and blue remember the words "Thank You" and say "I'm Too Blessed to Be Stressed." This will help you not only find joy and peace in the Magic Kingdom but also experience the magic in every day life.