retrieval, health care, and dramatic changes in the
weather are just some of the gale forces blowing in
our collective faces. By and large, the average person
doesn’t like change (particularly change they cannot
control) because change tends to disrupt one’s comfort
zones. It appears that the “known,” no matter how bad,
is a safer bet than the unknown. Change, it should be
noted, has always been part of the human landscape.
However, today the rate of change has become so fast
and furious, without an adequate reference point to
anchor oneself, that stress holds the potential to create
a perpetual sense of uneasiness in the hearts and minds
of nearly everyone. Yet it doesn’t have to be this way.
Where there is change, there is opportunity.
At one time, getting married, changing jobs, buying a
house, raising children, going back to school, dealing
with the death of a friend or close relative, and suf-
fering from a chronic illness were all considered to be
major life events that might shake the foundations of
anyone’s life. Although these major life events can and
do play a significant role in personal upheaval, a new
crop of social stressors has added to the critical mass
of an already volatile existence, throwing things fur-
ther out of balance. Consider how these factors directly
influence your life: the rapid acceleration of technology
(from software upgrades to downloadable apps), the
use of (if not addiction to) the World Wide Web (e.g.,
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), the proliferation of
smartphones and WiFi use, an accessible 24/7 society,
global economic woes (e.g., gasoline prices, subprime
loan foreclosures, rent, food prices), global terrorism,
carbon footprints, and public health issues from AIDS
and West Nile virus to the latest outbreak of contagious
staphylococcus infections. Times of change and uncer-
tainty tend to magnify our personal stress. Perhaps the
biggest looming concern facing people today is the issue
of personal boundaries or lack thereof. The advances
of high technology combined with a rapidly changing
social structure have eroded personal boundaries. These
boundaries include, but are not limited to, home and
work, finances, personal privacy, nutritional habits, rela-
tionships, and many, many more, all of which add to the
critical mass of one’s personal stress. Even the ongoing
war on terrorism appears to have no boundaries! Ironi-
cally, the lack of boundaries combined with factors that
promote a fractured society, where people feel a lack
of community and belonging, leads to a greater sense
of isolation and this also intensifies our personal stress
levels. Believe it or not, life wasn’t always like this.
Are you stressed? If the answer is yes, then consider
yourself to be in good company. Several recent Harris
and Gallup polls have noted an alarming trend in the
psyche of the American public and beyond—to nearly
all citizens of the global village. Across the board,
without exception, people admit to having an increasing
sense of anxiety, frustration, unease, and discontent in
nearly every aspect of their lives. From the aftermath
of the Great Recession (and the subsequent economic
problems) to mounting environmental reminders of an
unsustainable path of human existence, the face of stress
can be found just about everywhere. Sadly, episodes of
suicides, road rage, school shootings, and personal bank-
ruptcies are so common that they no longer are head-
line news. Ironically, in a country where the standard of
living is considered to be the highest anywhere in the
world, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimates that nearly one-quarter of the American pop-
ulation is reported to be on antidepressants. Moreover,
economic difficulties persist from the national home
foreclosure debacle, and college loan costs continue
to escalate. Obesity rates continue to rise dramatically,
and current estimates are that one in three people suf-
fers from a chronic disease, ranging from cancer and
coronary heart disease to diabetes, lupus, and rheuma-
toid arthritis. For a country with the highest standard of
living, something is very wrong with this picture!
Furthermore, since the start of the Great Recession, a
blanket of fear has covered much of the country, if not
the world, keeping people in a perpetual, albeit low,
state of anxiety. Global problems only seem to intensify
our personal stressors. It doesn’t make a difference if
you’re a college student or a CEO of a multi-national
corporation, where you live, or how much money is in
your checking account; stress is the equal opportunity
destroyer! But it doesn’t have to be this way. Even as
personal issues collide with social and planetary prob-
lems creating a “perfect storm” of stress, we all have
choices—in both our attitude and behaviors. This text
will help you connect the dots between mind, body,
and spirit to create positive choices that empower you
to navigate your life through the turbulent waters of
the human journey in the 21st century.
Times of Change and Uncertainty
Today the words stress and change have become synony-
mous and the winds of change are in the air. Changes in
the economy, technology, communications, information
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