This morning i came across a very inspiring post on a friend’s Facebook page:
Winston Churchill took, what looked like a long sabbatical; or worse...a retirement from his political career before his greatest hour. Rejected by his peers, removed from public office, he retreated to the English countryside in his early 50's. It wasn't until years later during WWII that his leadership was esteemed and he said that he felt he was walking in his destiny and everything before that was just preparation!
Those of us who aspire to higher goals and believe in a greater purpose in life, often come up against brick walls on the path we travel. Well intentioned goals may become derailed by factors completely outside our control, as we are attacked and cheated by others, and are under a relentless bombardment that can drain our strength and at times our will. Looking at Churchill’s life, we can see he was not immune to such struggles.
What’s interesting to note, is that he stepped back for a time, and was away from the limelight for a purpose and a reason. Many may have thought he had given up, but we now know that he had not. Whether we call it a sabbatical or just a long overdue rest, we all need to take down time to recover, reevaluate and rejuvenate ourselves. God never created us to endlessly plow full steam ahead. This is how many end up derailing themselves, or as some may describe 'burning themselves out'.
As i’ve rested on the sidelines for much of past three years, at times i’ve wondered if i’d ever be able to handle the battles again, establish new ventures or take on new challenges as i once did. Yes, time is our greatest asset and we must use it wisely, but i’ve also come to realize taking time to rest and rejuvenate may just be our greatest investment. Had Churchill not taken that sabbatical, would he have been ready for the challenge that faced him? Possibly not...
As an entrepreneur, i never really liked the term business or businessman. There’s many connotations associated with the term business, many not so positive. But what troubles me the most about this term is it’s root: BUSYNESS. Much of my business life has been busyness, not necessarily by my own choice but due to extraordinary circumstances i’ve encountered in my ventures. And an onslaught of busyness never allows us time for rest, and at the end may indeed cause us to loose our focus and burn out.
The challenge i now present to myself and others: Are we too busy to rest? Do we have time to be rejuvenated and revitalized in quietness, reflecting, dreaming and envisioning a greater purpose for our lives? Do we see the big picture, or are we enveloped by all the busyness that surrounds us? Taking time to be still and at rest, may just be the best place God can prepare us, for our greatest hour.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A diagnosis for this destination
I have recently discovered that there is a diagnosis for a destination i seem to have reached. This destination is not a place i ever planned to be, but it's a place i've been driven to by a series of circumstances outside my control.
Life deals blows to each and every person along their journey. We can experience trauma from loss of loved ones, unexpected deaths, broken relationships, violence, bullying, or loss of personal integrity by events initiated by others. Each person has been given a certain capacity to deal with the stresses of life, though each of our capacities to handle stress is varied and can be influenced by our physical wellbeing as well as our predisposition to stress.
Why is it that some people seem to have the capacity to roll with the most severe punches, while others crumble when facing severe stress? Why do some people arrive at a place of utter despair, a destination that consumes every once of energy, hope and even the will to live.
One diagnosis for this destination is PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I never thought i could ever be diagnosed with this type of disorder, but i now acknowledge that i may be experiencing some of it's classic symptoms.
I've done some research on this condition and discovered it's not at all exclusive to soldiers returning from combat as many believe. In fact according to researchers from the Harvard Medical School, the rate of PTSD in adults who were in foster care for one year between the ages of 14–18 was actually higher than that of combat veterans. Some additional insight i found:
Although most people encounter trauma over a lifetime, about 8% develop full PTSD. Vulnerability to PTSD actually stems from an interaction of early childhood developmental experiences, and trauma severity. Predictor models have consistently found that childhood trauma, chronic adversity, and familial stressors increase risk for PTSD as well as risk for biological markers of risk for PTSD after a traumatic event in adulthood. This effect of childhood trauma, which is not well understood, may be a marker for both traumatic experiences and attachment problems. Proximity to, duration of, and severity of the trauma also make an impact, and interpersonal traumas cause more problems than impersonal ones. (wikipedia)
Those of you who know me well, know that I have experienced several traumatic events since childhood. In a complex mess of family stressors, I spent many nights in my teen years walking the streets of Toronto since we rarely had peace at home. Yet even through my lowest moments, i always seemed to have enough resilience to get through it all and maintain hope for a better day. Without a doubt it's been by the grace of God that i've been able to keep my composure in life, and later use my experiences to help and encourage many youth who have lived through similar issues as i.
We have been taught to be strong by society, be it by leaders, teachers, pastors, or peers. Showing weakness, or showing our hurt and pain is rarely welcomed. We are taught to have a positive attitude in all our interactions with family, friends and colleagues. So we project a strong image to others while underlying stress often remains unresolved. Unchecked, this stress may eventually undermine our emotional integrity. We handle new stress with the emotional capacity we have, without realizing how eroded that capacity may be.
I have been strong through most stressful situations, though several extreme circumstances in recent years have incapacited me in many ways. I first noticed in 2008 (while i was going through what i call my 'Job year'), my ability to concentrate was severely reduced and I had trouble accomplishing in a week what i once accomplished in a day. I realized it was due to an unusually vicious onslaught of personal and business crisis', which i believed would ease over time. On the advice of good counsel, i did my best to reduce the sources of stress for the sake of my health (which was suffering quite a bit at the time).
Though the crisis' have somewhat subsided, my capacity to deal with stress has not been fully restored. I have a significantly reduced capacity (at rare times complete inability) to deal with stressful situations. It could be best described as trying to get a flat tire rolling, not an easy task at all. With much encouragement and support i can pump up the tire and get it rolling for a while, though it continues to leak and is soon flat again as forward motion is immobilized. There have been studies linking similar 'flat tire' symptoms to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome where the andrenal glands of an individual have been overstressed and not functioning properly, though this theory is not widely accepted in the medical community.
Regardless of medical diagnosis', we can't deny that we are conditioned by external forces to behave and react in certain ways. Behavior patterns, while technically are ours to decide, more often than not are conditioned by crisis. When crisis overwhelms us, our ability to control our behaviour is severely curtailed.
People of faith are often critical of those struggling with certain thought or behavior patterns. But we need to remember, there are several examples in scripture of sincere people who had similar struggles. Apostle Paul was surely experiencing some kind of overwhelming stress, when he was "doing the things he didn't want to and not doing what he ought to" (Rom7:15). Peter was incapacitated by fear, as he denied his best friend and Lord. Job sat incapacitated in sackcloth and couldn't do anything after he had lost all his wealth and loved ones. Yet each of these stories gives us hope of some restoration, though a mysterious thorn continued to plague Paul for the balance of his life; and i doubt Job even with a new family, ever stopped missing his lost loved ones..
Someone with PTSD carries a heavier burden than most can comprehend. Just telling someone with PTSD to get over it and get moving is never the solution. Understanding the person's diminished capacity and need for extra support and encouragement will certainly help keep the tire inflated longer. After all, Jesus instructed us to help carry one another's burdens. Perhaps if we can help keep someone's leaky tire rolling, over time the leaks might disappear...
Life deals blows to each and every person along their journey. We can experience trauma from loss of loved ones, unexpected deaths, broken relationships, violence, bullying, or loss of personal integrity by events initiated by others. Each person has been given a certain capacity to deal with the stresses of life, though each of our capacities to handle stress is varied and can be influenced by our physical wellbeing as well as our predisposition to stress.
Why is it that some people seem to have the capacity to roll with the most severe punches, while others crumble when facing severe stress? Why do some people arrive at a place of utter despair, a destination that consumes every once of energy, hope and even the will to live.
One diagnosis for this destination is PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I never thought i could ever be diagnosed with this type of disorder, but i now acknowledge that i may be experiencing some of it's classic symptoms.
I've done some research on this condition and discovered it's not at all exclusive to soldiers returning from combat as many believe. In fact according to researchers from the Harvard Medical School, the rate of PTSD in adults who were in foster care for one year between the ages of 14–18 was actually higher than that of combat veterans. Some additional insight i found:
Although most people encounter trauma over a lifetime, about 8% develop full PTSD. Vulnerability to PTSD actually stems from an interaction of early childhood developmental experiences, and trauma severity. Predictor models have consistently found that childhood trauma, chronic adversity, and familial stressors increase risk for PTSD as well as risk for biological markers of risk for PTSD after a traumatic event in adulthood. This effect of childhood trauma, which is not well understood, may be a marker for both traumatic experiences and attachment problems. Proximity to, duration of, and severity of the trauma also make an impact, and interpersonal traumas cause more problems than impersonal ones. (wikipedia)
Those of you who know me well, know that I have experienced several traumatic events since childhood. In a complex mess of family stressors, I spent many nights in my teen years walking the streets of Toronto since we rarely had peace at home. Yet even through my lowest moments, i always seemed to have enough resilience to get through it all and maintain hope for a better day. Without a doubt it's been by the grace of God that i've been able to keep my composure in life, and later use my experiences to help and encourage many youth who have lived through similar issues as i.
We have been taught to be strong by society, be it by leaders, teachers, pastors, or peers. Showing weakness, or showing our hurt and pain is rarely welcomed. We are taught to have a positive attitude in all our interactions with family, friends and colleagues. So we project a strong image to others while underlying stress often remains unresolved. Unchecked, this stress may eventually undermine our emotional integrity. We handle new stress with the emotional capacity we have, without realizing how eroded that capacity may be.
I have been strong through most stressful situations, though several extreme circumstances in recent years have incapacited me in many ways. I first noticed in 2008 (while i was going through what i call my 'Job year'), my ability to concentrate was severely reduced and I had trouble accomplishing in a week what i once accomplished in a day. I realized it was due to an unusually vicious onslaught of personal and business crisis', which i believed would ease over time. On the advice of good counsel, i did my best to reduce the sources of stress for the sake of my health (which was suffering quite a bit at the time).
Though the crisis' have somewhat subsided, my capacity to deal with stress has not been fully restored. I have a significantly reduced capacity (at rare times complete inability) to deal with stressful situations. It could be best described as trying to get a flat tire rolling, not an easy task at all. With much encouragement and support i can pump up the tire and get it rolling for a while, though it continues to leak and is soon flat again as forward motion is immobilized. There have been studies linking similar 'flat tire' symptoms to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome where the andrenal glands of an individual have been overstressed and not functioning properly, though this theory is not widely accepted in the medical community.
Regardless of medical diagnosis', we can't deny that we are conditioned by external forces to behave and react in certain ways. Behavior patterns, while technically are ours to decide, more often than not are conditioned by crisis. When crisis overwhelms us, our ability to control our behaviour is severely curtailed.
People of faith are often critical of those struggling with certain thought or behavior patterns. But we need to remember, there are several examples in scripture of sincere people who had similar struggles. Apostle Paul was surely experiencing some kind of overwhelming stress, when he was "doing the things he didn't want to and not doing what he ought to" (Rom7:15). Peter was incapacitated by fear, as he denied his best friend and Lord. Job sat incapacitated in sackcloth and couldn't do anything after he had lost all his wealth and loved ones. Yet each of these stories gives us hope of some restoration, though a mysterious thorn continued to plague Paul for the balance of his life; and i doubt Job even with a new family, ever stopped missing his lost loved ones..
Someone with PTSD carries a heavier burden than most can comprehend. Just telling someone with PTSD to get over it and get moving is never the solution. Understanding the person's diminished capacity and need for extra support and encouragement will certainly help keep the tire inflated longer. After all, Jesus instructed us to help carry one another's burdens. Perhaps if we can help keep someone's leaky tire rolling, over time the leaks might disappear...
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