The Ladder of Stress

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE STRESS. WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS HOW WE TAKE IT

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,“ said Shakespeare. Stress is a neutral emotion but it causes distress and many psycho-physical ailments when we view it negatively indulging in self pity.

But positive attitude makes it tremendously motivating and the ladder for success. There is no such thing as positive or negative stress. What really matters is how we take it. In fact, there is no problem which cannot be transformed into a stepping stone for further growth and development with right attitude.

Our altitude of success is proportionate to our inner drive which enables us to tap much more energy than we usually use. The residual reserve energy released by stress leads to better performance and resultant success. But negative emotions weaken the performance and affect our biochemical secretions inviting various ailments.

It is neither possible nor desirable to avoid stress in today's highly competitive world. A smooth sea never makes a good sailor. We must not try to remove stress. We should face the challenges with positive attitude using additional energy released by positive acceptance of stress.

The onward march of civilisation has been possible by voluntary acceptance of stress by different pioneers. Apple has been falling on the ground from time immemorial. But Newton became stressed to trace the law behind. Edison made almost ten thousand futile experiments to invent electric bulb.

Even his friends ridiculed his repeated failures and advised him to give up. But his own inner drive provided him the energy to react, “Who says I have failed? All these times I discovered how an electric bulb cannot be made.“ This positive acceptance of stress led to his phenomenal success. Even when his laboratory was burnt into ashes he took it positively, “Thank God! He has burnt my mistakes into ashes so that I can start afresh.“ Those who succumb to stress accept failure as destiny. It takes courage and positive attitude to accept stress as motivator. Those who can do it become successful.