You know that old saying, “The straw that broke the camel’s back” – well, why is it that the smallest things can just put us over the edge when we’re down?
Earlier this week, I was having a rough day with a multitude of things overwhelming me, leaving me with a knot of stress in the pit of my stomach. I knew that I was stressing out, but it wasn’t until I went to a get a Diet Dr. Pepper from the vending machine that it all hit me.
Earlier this week, I was having a rough day with a multitude of things overwhelming me, leaving me with a knot of stress in the pit of my stomach. I knew that I was stressing out, but it wasn’t until I went to a get a Diet Dr. Pepper from the vending machine that it all hit me.
I wanted to get away from my desk and to soothe my anxious digestive system, so I thought I would indulge in a carbonated treat; a Diet Dr. Pepper to be exact. Much to my dismay, the machine is completely out. I didn’t want a Diet Coke. I didn’t want a Sprite. I wanted my damn DDP! This one small pop machine malfunction set me over the edge – I was furious and I suddenly realized how stressed and overwhelmed I truly was.
The steady flow of action item emails I was receiving all day didn’t do it. The non-stop phone calls didn’t do it. Even the constant deadline reminders didn’t do it. It was a 12 oz. aluminum can, or lack thereof, that left me in a panicked fury. I was the camel and the can was THAT piece of straw.
I find it interesting that, for most people, we can withstand massive amounts of pressure and exhibit extraordinary strength and courage, but then it can take something as insignificant as an empty pop machine to have that strength come falling apart. It’s almost like we try to fight fear, sadness and anger to the extreme, not allowing ourselves to feel what we’re entitled to. As we exhaust ourselves trying to do this, we aren’t prepared to take the little bumps in the road because we’re just anticipating the catastrophic mountains and then suddenly, the little bump turns into a big surprise that you just can’t take.
Why do I share this random thought with you? As I get older, I find that straw continues to pile itself on my back (no, I don’t have a hump nor do I like to spit at people) and as I face new life challenges, I can’t help but to want to avoid Diet Dr. Pepper meltdowns as they are a ridiculous waste of time and energy. When you get to the point where the smallest set back forces you to crumble, it means you’ve let far more important issues go too far without addressing them.
Maybe if I pushed back on some requests, I wouldn’t have been pushed to my limit. Maybe if I took a moment to step back, breath and evaluate my situation, I wouldn’t have been so overwhelmed. And maybe if I had just told someone I was stressed to just put it out there and vent, I would have maybe settled for a Diet Coke.
The steady flow of action item emails I was receiving all day didn’t do it. The non-stop phone calls didn’t do it. Even the constant deadline reminders didn’t do it. It was a 12 oz. aluminum can, or lack thereof, that left me in a panicked fury. I was the camel and the can was THAT piece of straw.
I find it interesting that, for most people, we can withstand massive amounts of pressure and exhibit extraordinary strength and courage, but then it can take something as insignificant as an empty pop machine to have that strength come falling apart. It’s almost like we try to fight fear, sadness and anger to the extreme, not allowing ourselves to feel what we’re entitled to. As we exhaust ourselves trying to do this, we aren’t prepared to take the little bumps in the road because we’re just anticipating the catastrophic mountains and then suddenly, the little bump turns into a big surprise that you just can’t take.
Why do I share this random thought with you? As I get older, I find that straw continues to pile itself on my back (no, I don’t have a hump nor do I like to spit at people) and as I face new life challenges, I can’t help but to want to avoid Diet Dr. Pepper meltdowns as they are a ridiculous waste of time and energy. When you get to the point where the smallest set back forces you to crumble, it means you’ve let far more important issues go too far without addressing them.
Maybe if I pushed back on some requests, I wouldn’t have been pushed to my limit. Maybe if I took a moment to step back, breath and evaluate my situation, I wouldn’t have been so overwhelmed. And maybe if I had just told someone I was stressed to just put it out there and vent, I would have maybe settled for a Diet Coke.
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