Signs You're Stressed Out and What It Means

Having just returned from a relaxing honeymoon vacation from the beautiful coast of Belize was a great reality check. Over the course of twelve months my fiance (now husband) had been planning our destination wedding in Palm Springs. While we were ecstatic to have a big party with our closest friends and family, one of the problems we faced in our relationship was how to manage our stress during this hectic time in our lives. With a quick reality check from my best friend, I quickly attuned a new attitude. The more I zero'd in on the problem, the closer I got to understanding what stress really is and all it's hidden meanings.

First and foremost stress is a result of anticipation. That means that stress doesn't live in the present. It is either waiting for something to happen, as my stress was directly related to planning a wedding, or it is merely hanging onto something in the past. When you aren't living in the moment, stress can really get the best of you. Living in the present moment, as tough as it can be at times, is the ultimate remedy for curing those frazzled hairs, lowering your blood pressure, and clearing your complexion. Stress truly is the #1 killer of dreams, good health, and having a life you love.

Secondly, stress gets in the way of what really matters. A hostile wind or cold and dreary day is often a culprit to my stress, for I simply cannot stand cold weather, but as I ventured on through our honeymoon, I realized that wind and coldness were merely excuses to my stress. You see, we often want to blame our stress on something or someone, but in actuality it's really neither. What really matters is how you choose to deal with a given situation or circumstance, which brings me to my third meaning behind stress.

Stress gets in the way of the flow of life. Whether you are anticipating your skin to clear or cannot wait to get out of your dead end job and start your own business, stress shows up in many different forms. All the problems in your life could be blamed on stress, but stress is merely a symptom of a grander problem. It stops the natural flow to your biggest hopes and desires dead in their track. So what is stress and how do we get it out of our way so what we really want for our lives shows up and shows up fast!?

As I walked along the white sand beach of Belize, I pondered this question even while the strong wind blew my hair into my lipstick (which is a total pet peeve of mine), even though it was doing me a favor in keeping my body cool in the hot, humid sun. When you are trying to unwind from planning a big event, such as a wedding, or find your center so your body can heal, it's easy to forget what's important or why you choose this path in the first place.

When you look at stress from it's root cause or hidden meaning, you clearly see yourself, others, and your dreams in a new perspective. Stress is a perspective; that's all it is. But more importantly, it's a perspective you chose to have. It's not anything else but a figment of your uncreative subconscious imagination. All stress really does is stop the flow of your dreams until they become inconveniences and hassles, when once they were big dreams that you truly desired. Looking at stress from this new perspective you can see how frustrations and stresses in life are just self-created perspectives that make us sick, ruin a moment that is suppose to be happy, or tells the universe we don't have room for bigger and better things to show up in our lives because stress is taking up too much space and blocking the natural flow of life.

It might be a hard pill to swallow, so take a big gulp of water, and let it cleanse your thoughts and impurities so the fluidity of your dreams may manifest in their purest form. We were put on this planet to enjoy ourselves, learn from our lessons, and dream as big as possible. Letting life's hiccups or stresses get in the way is only a clear indication that your perspective at this time around this problem, is distorted. By choosing to think of the wind as a breeze to cool down the fire inside, instead of a nuisance that wrecks havoc on over-applied lipgloss, we can find a way to relax, enjoy the process, and finding a deeper meaning to all life is and will bring you as soon as you choose to see the beauty its presenting.