I’m not the most technologically adept 50-something on the planet. Updates, back-end web design, coding, and sometimes just searching for an old email, are a few examples that stand my hair straight up! If you’re like me and find yourself less than pulled together when technical difficulties arise on computer devices…can we agree to spell it: s.t.r.e.s.s.
Techies might say: so, what’s the big deal? Just learn whatever needs to be done, figure it out. Problem solved. Ya right, easy for you to say.
But, it’s actually true! And, it’s a practice applicable to healthy living: be able and willing to learn; be teachable; stress less. Remaining teachable throughout life is biblical to boot! If you throw a little patience in the mix, well then you have a delectable icing on the learned cake. In other words, you can do just about anything and be stress-free.
All this brings me to Savanna and Diana’s first blogs (you can find them on the home page). They were both about stress. I can’t fully remember if I was “stressed out” in the ’80s when I was their ages. If I had to guess I would say, not. Again, maybe I’m not remembering correctly. Millennials seem to be more stressed out than baby boomers were. If this is true, it makes me sad.
I took the following excerpt from one of Rick Warren’s Daily Hope passages. It’s called Three Effects of a Teachable Spirit, 2017:
“When you’re learning how to be humble, you have to be willing to listen, learn, and grow and be open to suggestions and corrections from other people. You don’t know it all, and you can’t act like you know it all, either!
Here are a few reasons why you need to have a teachable, humble spirit:
1. You’ll be more likable.
The Bible says in Proverbs 15:12, “Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser” (GNT). Pride, at its root, is insecurity. You may be afraid that you’ll show that you really don’t know much, but you’ll be more likable if you’re open to teaching.
2. You’ll be wiser.
Proverbs 15:32 says, “If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding” (NLT). Humble people are always learning because they’re open to correction. Everybody’s ignorant, just on different subjects. That’s why two heads are better than one. You don’t have time in life to learn everything from personal experience. It’s wiser to learn from the experience of others. The way to do that is by learning to ask questions.
3. You’ll have less conflict.
Proverbs 13:10a says, “Pride only leads to arguments” (NCV). This is the first verse that Kay and I memorized after we got married. We actually memorized it on our honeymoon because we needed it on our honeymoon. Anytime you get in an argument, you can know that pride is rearing its ugly head. But when you approach a situation with humility, you’ll have less conflict in your relationships.
In many ways, when it comes to humility, God wants us to be like little children. Why? Because children are teachable. They’re open to learning. They’re eager to learn. They’re not defensive. They don’t say, “I don’t need to learn to walk. I don’t need to learn to talk. You can’t teach me anything about reading.”
When you think about this brief life vs. eternal life and that we all have a straight shot to live eternally by acknowledging and accepting what God’s son sacrificed for us, what is there to be stressed about. Humility and being teachable essentially kiss stress good-bye.
Like most conundrums, we’re left with a choice and that’s a good thing. Will you humble yourself, or will you choose arrogance and prideful denial? Will you be disciplined and teachable or loosey goosey and defiant? Will you pray for it? Or complain about it?
“In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.” ~ Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
I’m always eager to learn about health, exercise, supplements, skin care, fashion, travel, and all fun things that cost too much money, but I struggle with things that aren’t my forte, like technology. I’ve learned a lot while setting up this website and, I must say, the smallest of conquered problems have brought great satisfaction. I learned.
You’re (everyone!) talented, energetic, and precious. Be teachable (child-like) and humble. IMHO, humility is the single most striking, beauty attribute. The cool thing is, anyone can have beauty in humility, but few do. Humbleness takes time and soul searching. I wish it was “popular,” How bright it would shine! There’d be thousands (hundreds of thousands!) of calm, cool, collected people who appreciated learning what they don’t know. Braggers and boasters would be rare. We’d be a society of calm, less stressed people who were more sure of ourselves.
This is a great link from Rick Warren’s Daily Hope: (2016): http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/how-do-gentleness-and-humility-reduce-stress. He says, “You probably don’t realize it, but the two biggest causes of stress in your life are arrogance and aggression.”
“Learn from me, for
I am gentle and
humble in heart,
and you will find
rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29b NIV
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Because I added material from Rick Warren, this post went over what Triangle Park aims to maintain, 500 or so words. I kept thinking, I bet no one will read to the end. I’m blabbing on and they’ll want to check Instagram, Facebook, email, etc. It was stressful thinking about it. Millennials practically don’t know life without apps. It begs the question: Do they causethem/everyone unfounded stress? And, has stress become our pocket pal — that little booger we carry around thinking he is our friend, when in fact, he’s a constant-worry inducer?
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