“Let It Go!” – Moving from Stressed to Acceptance
by Lori Miller
“It’s funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small…
Let it go, let it go”—Frozen
After Disney’s blockbuster animated film Frozen won an Oscar this year, it’s Oscar-winning anthem “Let It Go” sung by Idina Menzel, got plenty of airtime on the pop and adult contemporary radio stations. Even if you didn’t see the film, the song’s refrain serves as an excellent mantra for our every day challenges whether they are just annoying inconveniences or Kilimanjaro-esque problems. Our natural human behavior is to control our environment, control others, control our emotions. The conflict arises when things happen beyond our control and manifests itself into physical and emotional stress.
Let. It. Go. Three simple words to help us move from stress to acceptance. Wikipedia defines acceptance as “…a person’s assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest.”
A family member chooses to attend a work event rather than your child’s birthday party. Let it go. Recognize that individual has different values and accept them for who they are not who you want them to be.
A co-worker receives a promotion over you. Let it go. Recognize this other person has been chosen for the position and accept you may have talents better served in your current job or a future opportunity.
The company break room is a cross between a science experiment gone wrong and an episode of Hoarders. Your boss directs you to clean it up before upper management visits your facility. Let it go. Recognize this is out of your normal job description and accept the chore as a challenge and change from your everyday work routine.
So whether your challenge is annoying or life-changing, close your eyes, take a deep breath and say out loud “let it go”. Or if you are a fan of the movie Frozen, close your eyes, take a deep breath and sing in your loudest voice “let it go, let it go…” Moving your mindset from stressed to acceptance will give you some control over the uncontrollable.
Follow these simple guidelines to become better prepared and adept at dealing with change.
1. Control your Attitude: Throw your energies into being positive not negative. Choose deliberately to be optimistic and enthusiastic.
2. Take Ownership: Complaining is not the same as contributing. If you wish to flag a problem, be sure to suggest a workable solution.
3. Don’t let Strengths become Weaknesses: All that served you well in the past may outlive their usefulness. Don’t be afraid to try something new and adjust your style to meet the needs of any situation.
4. Practice Stress Management Techniques: Maintain a sense of humor, eat right, exercise, and avoid negative behavior such as gossip to minimize stress on the body.
5. Invent the future: The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Visualize yourself in charge and create the situation you want. Be purposeful. Look at what is needed now and set about doing it.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/let-it-go-moving-from-stressed-to-acceptance-7059937.html
About the Author: http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/lori-miller/670452