It’s been a while since I’ve taken part in one Brody’s Positive Post Tuesday events, but I just couldn’t let another slip by. As we approach Thanksgiving, there’s much to be thankful for. Yes, even in the midst of turmoil, we do have much to be thankful for. Actually, because of the situation many find themselves in today, this could be one of the most important Thanksgiving times ever. This year, the best medicine for everyone to take could very well be an attitude of thankfulness as we find ourselves heading into another Thanksgiving season.

As part of my radio gig, I also host a talk show called The Live Line. From time to time I come across a guest that really stands out in the crowd.

One such guest is Mike Robbins, author of Focus on the Good Stuff. 

Mike has an amazing story. He was drafted out of high school by the New York Yankees. But, instead of heading to the Yankees organization, he decided to attend college and pitch at Stanford University where he pitched in the College World Series. After college, he went on to play for the Kansas City Royals for three seasons. When it looked like he had everything going for him, Mike suffered a career ending arm injury.

Faced with the decision of what to do, Mike decided to turn what looked like a bad situation, into a positive situation, by looking for the good stuff.

I thoroughly enjoy talking with Mike on the air. He’s so positive, and he’s always an encouragement to my listeners. Yesterday we talked about Thanksgiving. Many in the nation are stressed out these days. Yes, there’s the crush of the economy, and for many, there’s just the crush of everyday life. How can we begin to change our outlook, when things look so grim around us. The answer — Take small steps toward changing our attitude by being thankful for for the good stuff going on around us. During the interview with Mike he outlined three reminders and three action ideas that provide a great starting point for our journey toward thankfulness as a culture and a way of life. If you can’t wrap your mind around the thought of being thankful every day, at least take the small step and activate these steps for this Thanksgiving.

Reminders…

1. Be grateful – focus on the good stuff and count your blessings.
2. Acknowledge teh people around you – let the people in your life know what you appreciate about them.
3. Appreciate yourself – pat yourself on the back and focus on what you are doing well.

Please Note: While this Positive Post Tuesday entry is not about one particular person, it does address the idea of how to stay positive in a stress filled world.

Where do you find your sense of calm?

Unless you never pick up a newspaper, listen to the news on the radio, or watch the news on TV, you’re well aware of the fact there’s quite a bit going on in the world these days. Just this morning there’s news of another overseas terrorist attack. In upper New York State there’s a story about a soldier from Auburn, New York who was killed in Afghanistan. A little closer to home, gas prices are up and down like a yo-yo. In some southern States, stations are actually running out of gas. Then, add on top of that the fact that the financial markets seem very unstable and for some reason, the government thinks throwing money at the problem will fix it.

In the midst of all those issues, personal problems can add to stress levels too. Maybe you have a newborn. Maybe you have a child getting ready to start school. Or, possibly you have a child heading to college, or even getting ready to join the work force for the first time. It’s easy to see many aspects in life can add to the stress level in ones life. What do we do relieve some of that stress? All too often most people wait too long to figure out what to do. Time and time again we hear of people having some kind of a breakdown. On the surface people say – “Why? How did this happen?” – But, when we go beyond just scratching the surface, we discover a number of events probably led up to the ultimate breakdown.

So, again, I ask – How do we keep a sense of a calm in the midst of life?

Personally, I think we’ve made much of life brain surgery. For some reason we tend to make life more difficult than it really is. If you find yourself being set off by the little things in life, then it’s probably time to step back and re-assess what you believe is important in life. Now I’m not saying we need to live in some kind of fairy tale land where we believe nothing bad is happening. But, there are ways we can manage stress better, and many times it’s simply by disconnecting to a few things around you.

Dr. Rodger Murphree is a frequent guest on my Live Line talk show. During a recent interview we chatted about stress. Dr. Murphree noted that Americans now spend more money on antidepressants than the Gross National Product of two-thirds of the world’s countries. Dr. Murphree went on to say “studies consistently show that in up to 70% of the time, these drugs are no better than a sugar pill.” Dr. Murphree quickly noted that he’s not saying no one should take the drugs. But he did point out that many times medications such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Cymbalta are prescribed too quickly. He said it’s almost like people think they have a “Prozac deficiency.” The fact of the matter is, most people simply have a B6 vitamin insufficiency. In other words, many simply need to take a daily multi-vitamin, instead of loading up on the so-called stress-relieving drugs.

Another aspect of life adding unneeded pressure is technology. In her book Prisoners of Technology Lisa Whaley says; “It’s time to get unplugged!” In the book Whaley writes,

“Instead of making life easier, technology has introduced complexity. Instead of giving us more time with family, technology has pulled family members away from each other and toward their devices. As a result, it’s time to step away from the keyboard, email, cell phone and GPS devices and instead position ourselves to give a loved one a hug or wave at our neighbor.”

Have you noticed how plugged in kids are these days? When was the last time you walked through a mall and saw a group of teenagers simply talking with one another? Instead, they walk through the mall side by side, texting one another! I’m with Lisa on this one — It’s time to get unplugged! — Of course once you unplug, you may also find yourself living with a little less stress. Suddenly when you’re unplugged, you’re not bombarded with information overload. Do you really need a constant stream of breaking news updates on your cell phone, email or Twitter from CNN, Fox News, CBS, NBC and ABC? As a matter of fact, I recently stopped following Fox News on my Twitter account simply because I got tired of their updates which came in about every 30 seconds.

The bottom line is this, we live in a world where stress factors can climb and climb and climb. But, as we journey through this thing we call life, we also need to find a way to discover a sense of calm. I’m not saying we need to become hermits. However, we do need to find a sense of balance. Remember, it doesn’t have to be brain surgery. It could be as easy as taking a daily multi-vitamin and unplugging from technology when you walk through the door of your home. Turn off the cell phone, check your home email once. Then, sit back and enjoy some time with your family. Maybe you’ll discover life isn’t as stressful as you once thought.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

Amy Konrath is connected with the Indy Racing Series. I believe her official title is Media Relations. Whatever the case may be, Amy is an awesome representative for the Indy Cars. She’s always cheerful, and most helpful to media type people like myself.

I first met Amy four years ago, which also marked the return of the Indy Cars to the historic road course at Watkins, New York. Amy set me up with some great interviews, and also connected me with the right people for track credentials. Every year it’s a pleasure to chat with Amy and see her at the track. So, my kudos on this Positive Post Tuesday go out to Amy!

For those who may have never experienced an Indy Car race, I’d like to highly recommend it. I’ve been following both the Indy Car Series and NASCAR for a number of years. But I must admit, from an accessibility aspect, and a general feeling of a relaxed atmosphere, no one does it better than the Indy Car Series people. Yes, it’s a high priced, and fast paced sport, but at the same time it seems very laid back. The drivers are always seen around the track, whether in the garage area, the pits, or just wandering around in general, they’re always there. One of the most amazing things is the fact that even as you wander through the garage, team members are more than willing to invite you right into their space, spend time chatting with you, and answer any questions you might have too.

Then, add on top of that, some of the really big name past drivers that are at the track too. I must admit it was a blast getting some of the present day driver autographs. But, to bump into Johnny Rutherford in the garage area, chat for a moment or two, and then get him to sign my hat, that was a thrill I will not forget.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

We we have three boys ranging in ages from 15 to 21. That means life many times can be a challenge. Just when you think you’re over one hurdle and they’re about to grow out of one stage, you suddenly find yourself entering a brand new stage. Of course with each stage, comes a new challenge. I joke with our boys quite often reminding them I use to have a full beard. But, as the years went on and they caused more gray to show up, the beard has been trimmed back to a goatee. But, even in the midst of the more challenging times, there’s always the great surprises that come along the way too. Such was the case a couple weeks during church.

For those reading this blog who don’t know, my wife and I are Pastors of a church plant called Fresh-Wind Ministries. Two of our sons are on the worship team with my wife and I, while our youngest son has floated around doing a number of different things in church pretty much trying to find his niche. Two weeks ago as I picked him up from the radio station where he works Ben told me he thought he had the message for the day. I asked him to give me a brief outline of what he was pondering, and I said, “Okay, I guess you’re preaching today.”

We arrived at the church for service, I didn’t say anything to anyone else about our conversation, we just started to worship and make our way through the service. When it came time for the message, I called on Ben. He came to the front, and gave a great message about the journey we call life. Using a Reliant K song as his jumping off point, Ben outlined how life can present a number of challenges along the way. But, in the end, isn’t it great to know that we are never alone. He even touched on some purpose and destiny imagery too. At one point Ben looked at me when he was talking and said, “It’s like you always say Dad, we all have a purpose and destiny. We just need to find it.” Wow! I have to admit I know I was sitting in the front of the church holding back a tear or two, and I have a feeling Sandra, my wife, was doing the same.

A lot of times in this world many people take their kids for granted. When it comes to doing chores around the house I will sometimes say, “Let the kids do it. That’s why we had them isn’t it?” (Of course that’s said with tongue firmly planted in check.) But, it does bring to light an issue we need to be very aware of – the importance of giving kudos to our kids.

So, with that in mind, my Positive Post Tuesday thoughts today send out huge kudos to Ben…

…our 15, (almost 16 year old), for sharing some great thoughts during church a couple weeks ago.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

Check out Brody’s Positive Post Tuesday Here!

First off, I love the idea Brody! Kudos to you for stepping out on a limb and starting this feature on your blog. My personal vision/mission statement revolves around encouragement — Empower and encouraging others – With that being my vision/mission, you can well imagine how pumped I was when I discovered your creative use of Tuesday on your blog.

Now, as for this weeks Positive Post Tuesday entry, it comes in the form of a book review and kudos to the author.

Mike Robbins was drafted out of high school by the New York Yankees, but chose to attend college and pitch at Stanford University, where he pitched in the College World Series. He was on the All Conference team and voted “Most Inspirational” by his teammates at Stanford. After college Mike played in the Kansas City Royals organization for three seasons before he blew his arm out, which in turn ended his playing career. Now he’s a released a book entitled Focus on the Good Stuff – The Power of Appreciation. It’s a great book with some fantastic principles in the area of appreciation and encouragement for not only yourself, but those around too.

If you’re looking for some great positive encouragement, and a few lessons on how to encourage others, check out Mike’s book…

Focus on the Good Stuff.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus