Reading Myra’s comment on yesterday’s post got me thinking about stress management, so I looked to see what I’ve posted about it. I had to laugh at the one I wrote for a Writer’s Group over thirteen years ago (November, 2007). It reminds me of an old New Yorker cartoon. One sad-looking basset hound is saying to another as a cheerful poodle bounces towards them,
Oh, Lord! Here comes Miss Perky!
Anyway, here’s the post:
I’ve been studying/practicing personal development most of my life, and got into stress management about 16 years ago, when my husband and I were both threatened with downsizing. It was scary, but also one of the happiest times of my life.
My husband and I worked in different divisions of the same company and drove to and from work together. When we got in the car at night we would share stories about the latest idiocies of management and laugh. And we would discuss our options for the future. It was a shared adventure.
🙂 I take full credit for marrying someone who would do well in a crisis. I cheerfully admit this doesn’t sound very romantic, but if you believe marriage is for the long haul, not just temporary excitement, pick someone who will weather adversity well. You won’t be sorry.
Anyway, we both liked what we were doing, so we decided to make the most of our present jobs while they lasted. I had been working about 60 hours a week and dropped that down to 40. I had a lot of autonomy at work, which I loved, so I kept developing my writing, programming and people skills. In my new free time I joined a second Toastmaster’s Club and became certified in NLP (neurolinguistic programming).
When I looked around the division I asked myself one of my favorite questions, “What’s the opportunity here?” The answer, of course, was to become an expert in stress management. So that became another part of the adventure.
As it turned out, our jobs lasted another couple of years, when we were offered great severance packages. By then I was already prepared for my next great adventure, teaching/leading groups in stress management.
So, what did I learn from the experience?
- Be optimistic and have a sense of humor
- Always keep learning and growing
- Be patient and bide your time when it’s appropriate
- Generate new ideas and opportunities for yourself
- Enjoy the adventure of life and have friends to share it with
What about you? What life lessons would you like to share? This site is about sharing, so please tell us your thoughts in the comment section.
What do you think of perky people?
March 11, 2021
When I’m in the Delta Ave pharmacy – the staff always remark how cheerful I seem – and yep even yesterday when I took away nearly a carrier bag full of meds. I said “you just make me happy…even when I see how much is you service tray for me” Jenny said “I know which pill you soon won’t need…” I was stunned on her choice as that pill gives me cheer this morning when I had so many of them, I could just take it and actually get up earlier than has been the case (reply to tammy on my latest blog post)
And I’ve never pleased when a Miss Perky shows up when I’m feeling really bad OR when someone says “you look very well now…”
That’s the thing, when people are feeling bad they find perky people irritating. That’s why the New Yorker joke was so funny.
I’ve got a cousin who is a genuinely Perky Person and she is a joy to be around. She’s got a twin sister and it’s really interesting how different their personalities are. I saw them often when they were kids, was their frequent baby sitter and was close to their parents. It’s got to be nature versus nurture because that Patty turned out to be so perky and full of sunshine. They were raised exactly the same way.
If you’re feeling down then perky people tend to cheer you up? Or at least you’re neutral?
I’m one of those people who can only take perky people in small doses. I suppose when people see me coming it’s more like “here comes Miss Grump”…lol
It is what it is. But I’ll bet your boss appreciates all you do.
I like perky people, as long as they’re not totally manic and over the top. They also tend to be optimistic and have a sense of humor, two essential qualities for coping with life’s challenges.
I’m a cheerful pessimist, and that works too. I agree about the sense of humor.
Incessant Perkiness makes me crazy… I know a few like that. a little Perky goes a long way for me… and people who are over the top optimistic also make me crazy. I love people with humor, and try to keep my life events in the humor lane. most of the time I feel Perky People are Fake
Sometimes they come across that way, but I’m guessing it’s real for other people. I agree with you about the humor. (I’m a cheerful pessimist, or some people might say a tragic optimist.)
Yes, I think Perky people can cheer you up. It’s contagious.
🙂
Perky people? I guess I was until I married Forrest Grump. It kinda rubbed off. Marriage is like a box of Chocolates..
.you never know what you’re gonna get.
Yes, all of life is unpredictable. There are no guarantees.
Grinning about the perky people; how I used to (privately) refer to them as Pollyanna-without-a-clue.
Your back story is fascinating! I love my husband, but there have been times I wish I’d have married “someone who would do well in a crisis.” Let’s just say, I hope we never have to share a lifeboat. 🙂
Fingers crossed! 🙂
My step-sister is a perky person. When I’m with her I become perky as well. At the end of a weekend I am exhausted and losing my voice. Obviously, perky is not my natural state. 🙂
That sounds like typical extrovert and introvert. Introverts get exhausted if the interactions go on too long without getting a chance to recharge.
For some reason Linda Sand’s comment got me so tickled…I definitely used to be more perky. Maybe more optimistic is more the correct term. I wasn’t the type to drive a person crazy, but I always tended to see the positive side of things. Now I see both sides.
Humor is a life saver….it has got us through some really bad moments. When we need to laugh, we can always come up with something that has happened to us. Or I will run across something Lorelei has said or done. Or I have favorite blogger posts I read…not my own.
Yes, humor. I learned that early in our marriage. When in doubt, lighten things up.