A Man With A Toothache

Life gets rough sometimes. Especially at work. Your boss gets mad, you miss a deadline, you lose a big account, or worst of all, you get fired. Studies show that:

• 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful
• Three fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
• 26 percent of workers said they were "often or very often burned out or stressed by their work"
• Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems.

No wonder that absenteeism is at an all-time high. So what's the solution? I think it's all in your perspective.

Sigmund Freud once said, "A man with a toothache cannot be in love." He meant that people tend to obsess over minor problems to the detriment of the more important things in life. A little attitude adjustment could go a long way toward fixing the problem. Dan Miller at 48Days.com has some terrific advice to help you ignore that "toothache"--

Make additional deposits of success in your physical well-being. The energy and creativity that can come from a sharp mind and body can generate the very ideas you need at this time. Organize a pot-luck with a group of your friends – you’ll be surprised how many of them are going through a similar experience and providing one dish will cost you no more than eating your own meal. Pick up a great book to read. If you read only 10 minutes a day you can read a new book a month – and that can transform your insight and preparation for new options. Stay connected spiritually. You’ll realize that in the scope of eternity, this event is probably a tiny spot on the timeline.

(I once got fired from a radio station where I had worked as a morning DJ for over 10 years...and the minute the GM broke the bad news to me, I drove home, kissed my wife and played on the floor with my 2 year-old son. Talk about perspective! )

It reminds me of a joke--these two brain surgeons were preparing for emergency surgery and one of the doctors was concerned about the prospects for success. The other doctor patted his peer on the back and said, "Don't worry...I mean, after all, it's not radio, it's just brain surgery." Again, perspective.

Your life cannot be broken without your permission. Find a way to triumph.