Souls, stress and searching for answers

Hey how are you doing?
What a coincidence? I was just thinking about you yesterday. Sorry, let me stop the book I'm listening too.

What book are you listening to?
Journey of Souls by Michael Newton.

What's it about?
It's actually about interviews with clients under hypnosis who talk about their previous lives.

That sounds kind of odd. You're not listening to a business book?
I don't just listen to books to learn about business. I try to learn about life and some series of unanswered questions. I'm trying to look at business from a different angle. It's giving me a different perspective.

What's it got to do with business?
Answers to problems can come from the oddest of places. I believe if I stay well rounded, it will help me with my search of those solutions.

Oh. I never thought of books that way.
How are things with you?

Very good. Our business doubled in the last year. I have employees now and I'm working non-stop.
Are you happy where things are going?

Umm. Yeah.
Doesn't sound convincing.

Well. It's stressful with all these people I'm responsible for. I have to always find them work and there isn't enough work sometimes.
Oh. Well are you more profitable this year than you were last year?

Probably not.
Right. I understand the stress. But are you doing what you want?

What do you mean?
In your day to day routine, are you doing what you want or are you doing things you don't want?

I refuse to work 16 hour days. But there are days I have to do a bunch of paperwork and put invoices into the accounting software.
Are you aware that bookkeepers are not that expensive?

Yes, but the problem is to find a good one. I've had a few and they have never worked out.
I understand. But just because you haven't found a good one shouldn't mean you should stop looking for one.

And then I have another person to pay...
Yes, and you remove some of the stress and to do's off your list.How do you manage your stress?

Um, ah. I just work through it.
I've been stressed and coping is not easy when you're in the middle of the stress storm. However, when things calm down a bit, my advice is to remove yourself from the problem. If it was my problem, you wouldn't get stressed out.

No, not at all. Because I wouldn't own it.
Exactly, and right now you own the stress. What if you could decide that you do not own the stress, just like you don't own mine?

I can't. I have roles and responsibilities. I do own it.
I know. But did you ever think that you allow yourself to own it?

I can't help but think about the worries everyday.
Check your thinking on this. I get stressed all the time. My easiest way to reduce it is to burn it off on the treadmill. The physical stress of running overwhelms the mental stress.

Doesn't it come back?
Yes, but it feels lighter when it does. I'm no psychologist but I believe mental stress is caused by fear. And as long as I'm afraid of something, the stress keeps popping its ugly head up. Until I deal with that fear, I can't completely remove the stress. I've closed, sold and started businesses because I wanted to relieve the fear.

What would you be afraid of?
I'm afraid all the time. Probably the same types of things you're afraid of maybe on a lesser degree. Let me share something that helps me. Most things we're afraid of will never happen. Wherever your fear lies is where stress is nesting. Ask yourself if you'd be ok if your fear was realized. If the answer is no, then you should stop doing what you're doing. It's not worth the consequences. If the answer is yes. Then no matter what happens, you'll be ok.  If you will be ok, then keep going and stop worrying.

That makes a lot of sense. I have to go. I'll let you know how it goes.
Great. Good luck. Keep your head up. I hope you can realize your greatness as easily as I see it in you.

I'm glad I ran into you today.
Me too.