Meaningful Stress

I recently caught up with a friend, and it was clear from his demeanor that he was under some stress.

Sensing his unease, I gently asked, “Is everything okay?”

He sighed and said, “Life has been crazy stressful lately.”

Wanting to help, I offered, “Is there any way I can support you?”

He paused for a moment and said , “I’m juggling so many priorities right now, and I can’t figure out which ones to focus on and which ones to set aside . I am struggling to decide and it’s stressing me. What must I do ?”

I took a moment to put myself in his shoes, imagining how I might handle such a situation. Then, I shared my perspective:

“The goal isn’t to have no stress, but to stress about things that truly matter to you. Stress over what’s meaningful for you, and let the others wait.”

 I could sense my friend reflecting positively about what I said.