If you can apply this thought process toward the stressful scenarios, en-
vironments, and moods you wrestle with at home, in the field, or with the
home office, you soon will find that you are no longer being blown about
by the winds of stress and emotion but are, in fact, adjusting your sails and
getting the most mileage possible from those winds.
AGELESS ATTITUDES
Can we learn anything from people who live to 100? Science believes
so and has been, in recent years, paying close attention to both the physical
and psychological habits of centenarians. One study conducted by Harvard
Medical School tested subjects’ intellectual abilities and personality pat-
terns to see if a “centenarian personality” could be found. The study found
these psychological patterns:
Feeling Helpless or Taking Charge 91FIGURE 11.1Awareness Worksheet
Moods.(states where I am most susceptible to stress and anger)- Tired
- Hungry
•Facing a deadline
Environments.(settings that immediately cause me to feel stress and discomfort)- Messy, disheveled environment
- Crowded area
- Roads without adequate signage
- Loud, boisterous environments
Stressful Situations.(types of situations and people who historically have caused me
to feel stressed)- Disorganized situations
•Working with organizations that can’t make decisions
•Working with defensive, argumentative types - Dealing with individuals who slough off responsibility
•Working with those who don’t care about quality of work
•Waiting a long time for an appointment
•Working with individuals who want to do little work yet reap a lot of credit - Dealing with those who don’t pay bills in a timely manner
- Dealing with control freaks