Margin: Antidote to Excess Stress

Discovering A Better Life
P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Margin: Antidote to Excess Stress
Garrison Keillor underwent heart surgery in July last year. Now he is extolling its benefits. And he isn’t talking about better blood flow. According to him, the upside of his surgery is that it has given him permission to take afternoon naps. “God never intended for me to work hard. I can see that now,” he wrote in a Time magazine essay. “My true calling in life is to live unencumbered and follow the fleeting impulses of my heart and take a nap around 2 p.m.” Well, as I think about what Garrison Keillor wrote, it comes to my mind that perhaps he has discovered a truth all of us need to learn - and, I could hope, before having to undergo heart surgery. You see, we humans can’t overextend ourselves forever without paying a horrible price in poor health, damaged relationships, and diminished spirituality. Life on Planet Earth makes certain demands that must be met. For instance, in order to have family and friends, you have to invest yourself in their lives. You have to work in order to carry your part of the load and to provide for yourself and your family. Naturally, there will be crisis times involving sickness or career set backs. And there will always be interruptions that range from untimely phone calls to errands to rude sales persons. Since life under these customary conditions is already stressful enough, each of us needs what one write calls “margin.” Margin is the cushion one builds in beyond what will be necessary to face life’s routine. It’s breathing space between tasks. It’s ten minutes between clients to relax and shift gears. It’s extra income (or less debt) that prevents an unexpected bill from derailing your life. In his book “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives,” Dr. Richard Swenson claims that busyness is so commonplace for most of us that we don’t even question it. “The spontaneous tendency of our culture is to add detail to our lives: one more option, one more commitment, one more debt, one more purchase, one more change, one more job, and one more decision. We deal with more “things per person” than at any other time in history.” Touché! I am guilty as charged! How about you? My friend, whether your solution is Keillor’s nap, paying off your credit-card debt, spending more time with your family, or just learning to say no occasionally, you need to find positive ways to guard your life and replenish your reserves. You see, if stress is burning you out, only you can administer its antidote. I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you, however, if you’d like to write to me with your comments or suggestions, I’d be pleased to hear form you. Email me or write to me at P.O Box 1540, Albany W.A 6331. Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418

Garrison Keillor underwent heart surgery in July last year. Now he is extolling its benefits. And he isn’t talking about better blood flow. According to him, the upside of his surgery is that it has given him permission to take afternoon naps.

“God never intended for me to work hard. I can see that now,” he wrote in a Time magazine essay. “My true calling in life is to live unencumbered and follow the fleeting impulses of my heart and take a nap around 2 p.m.”

Well, as I think about what Garrison Keillor wrote, it comes to my mind that perhaps he has discovered a truth all of us need to learn - and, I could hope, before having to undergo heart surgery. You see, we humans can’t overextend ourselves forever without paying a horrible price in poor health, damaged relationships, and diminished spirituality.

Life on Planet Earth makes certain demands that must be met. For instance, in order to have family and friends, you have to invest yourself in their lives. You have to work in order to carry your part of the load and to provide for yourself and your family. Naturally, there will be crisis times involving sickness or career set backs. And there will always be interruptions that range from untimely phone calls to errands to rude sales persons.

Since life under these customary conditions is already stressful enough, each of us needs what one write calls “margin.” Margin is the cushion one builds in beyond what will be necessary to face life’s routine. It’s breathing space between tasks. It’s ten minutes between clients to relax and shift gears. It’s extra income (or less debt) that prevents an unexpected bill from derailing your life.

In his book “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives,” Dr. Richard Swenson claims that busyness is so commonplace for most of us that we don’t even question it. “The spontaneous tendency of our culture is to add detail to our lives: one more option, one more commitment, one more debt, one more purchase, one more change, one more job, and one more decision. We deal with more “things per person” than at any other time in history.” Touché! I am guilty as charged! How about you?

My friend, whether your solution is Keillor’s nap, paying off your credit-card debt, spending more time with your family, or just learning to say no occasionally, you need to find positive ways to guard your life and replenish your reserves.

You see, if stress is burning you out, only you can administer its antidote.

I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you, however, if you’d like to write to me with your comments or suggestions, I’d be pleased to hear form you.

Email me
or write to me at
P.O Box 1540,
Albany W.A 6331.

Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418