Stress Part Three – CHOICES: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe
The paradox of choice is an interesting phenomenon. Many feel stressed when they don’t have any viable choices and others feel stressed when they have too many choices.
No need to feel stressed about how to begin resolution. Both camps can use the same technique which is simple, but not necessarily easy:
Find a trusted friend, counselor, therapist, chaplain, or pastor that knows how to actively listen to you as you gain your own clarity in realizing your choices or steps necessary to have plausible choices. It may take several attempts before you find your listening friend. Don’t give up.
Scripture and Prayer: David hid in caves, Joseph waited in prison, Job sat in ashes. God WAS faithful, God IS faithful, and God WILL BE faithful. Thank God for his faithfulness to every generation. For every need we have, there is a name, attribute or title for God.
Wait. Sometimes the season is a waiting one and we must simply endure. Your trusted listener will feel like your life line, providing you with the gift of their presence as you wait, endure, pray, and trust.
When the choices are many there is automatically a presumption that one way is best thus increasing my expectations. I can pay $25 for a pair of jeans and be okay with that. But if I spend $100 on a pair of jeans, they better make me look like a million bucks and twenty years younger. Realistic? The same goes for the other choices in life.
With many choices also comes the need to remain true to your values. A career change that offers you triple the money but sacrifices your family time may not be in your best interest. We don’t always get to have it all. Learn the value of sacrifice when necessary and taking the risk when warranted. Talk it out with your trusted listener.
Go back to bullet two. They hid, waited, and sat. God entrusted them with experiences and each had the responsibility of choosing to find the gift in the suffering or to settle for failure. If a lesson is learned, a truth discovered, wisdom gained, then let go of the shame or guilt of failure.
When praying, communicate with God and not your problem. Click on the link below to enjoy one of my favorite songs which takes my mind off of myself and puts it on the one who chose me before the foundations of the earth were laid. He chose you too! You are cherished.