Let’s face it.  There is a lot of stress and worry in our world.  It is becoming more and more difficult for all of us to put on our “happy face” on a routine basis and sweep stuff under the rug.

It is not just geopolitical factors and a stumbling global economy that are driving the tension. We experience most of the pressure in our homes, schools, at work, and in our communities.  Peace, joy, and happiness seem to not make interesting headlines, so we usually get a real adult dose of the pressures of our world from all the major news outlets.

At times, a little stress in our lives helps to kick us into gear and get down the path we should have been going a while ago.  For the most, however, consistent stress and worry is not healthy.

One important truth is that stress and worry do not take away the pain that may come tomorrow, but they sure take away our strength for today.  Today and tomorrow are often connected by stress and worry.  As we continue on our journey to build and strengthen our character, principles like perspective, hope, and carpe diem (seize the day) with help us effectively deal with stress and worry in order to reach our full potential.

How we guide our thoughts, decisions, and actions around today and tomorrow will help to determine our impact.  Here are a few thoughts to consider in order to connect today and tomorrow in a most meaningful and productive way:

• Reality check. It is important to acknowledge the truth that we all have some degree of stress and worry. We are not a one-off freak show because we worry and feel stressed out. Sure, some of us may be a bit better at concealing it, but we all live with it.
• Small steps. The Grand Canyon was not created by a meteor strike. It was the slow steady movement of water over time. It is tempting to think that one great event, a great pump-up speech, or some motivational insight will help us overcome stress and worry.  Practical experience teaches us that our daily habits, the laying of bricks one by one, is what brings about a solid foundation for lasting change.  
• All we have is today.  Living productively today by being present, mentally and emotionally, is our best way to link today and tomorrow.  Maximizing our impact today brings a sense of peace about facing tomorrow.  To be very candid, there will be times when the worry of tomorrow will be a bit too much to bear by just trying to stay focused on today.  When that is the case, one small step to take is to use today to completely focus on preparing for tomorrow.  The active preparation for tomorrow has a natural way of building confidence to face the next day’s challenges.

We all will face stress and worry throughout our lives.  As we take small, consistent steps to guide our thoughts, decisions, to maximize today, we will build and strengthen our character and Character Creates Opportunity® to have a positive impact on those around us and enable us to reach our full potential.