Click here to listen to the audio version

This is Bull!!!

By Doug Nielsen

Recently, while in Costa Rica, we (my family, a friend, and I) went to the equivalent of a state fair rodeo. Our friend asked if I wanted to Run with the Bulls like they do in Spain. Here is the twist. You are not running down streets. You are running in an arena with 2000 pound bulls that can out run, out maneuver and potentially kill you. Oh, and to make matters worse, the goal is to go up and touch the bull. The person who touches the bull the most wins. Sound tempting so far? 

As you can imagine, some people are gored, trampled and injured. Once in a while the bulls jump the safety wall and the arena wall into the stands causing some serious injuries to spectators. 

I should add that these bulls are mad! They have their privates cinched up (that alone would make most of us mad) and have been shocked with an electrical prod that would curl your hair. They are ticked off!

Anyway, I did it. I ran with the bulls and actually touched a bull 2 times.  Crazy!!!  The scariest part was when the bull came directly towards me—full bore. I ran and jumped the safety fence to save my dear life.  Being the only “American” in the arena, the Costa Rican TV station interviewed me on live television prior to the run.  The reporter asked, “Were you scared?” I said “Of course I was!” Crazy, stupid, but FUN!

Have you had a stressful day where it felt like you were running from bulls, yet inevitably the goal was to touch the bull? On one hand you tell yourself not to stress out, but on the other you have a deadline that you need to meet? This can be a stressful quandary.

When talking about change and stress in my speeches and workshops I often have a volunteer hold a seemingly harmless book weighing less than ½ a pound above their head and hold it there for as long as they can. Seems easy? 

Then I put another book on and another, until they are very uncomfortable. Try it: It’s much more difficult then it sounds! Interestingly, the majority of the pain is not due to the weight of the book(s), but to how long you hold the books above your head. 

The books represent the stressors in your life. You can handle stress for short periods of time.  The principal here is to bare your burdens well and then put them down for a while. Much like the running from the bull, there is a time to be stressed (when the bull is charging you) and then there is the time to relieve the stress (jump the safety fence). 

Some people never experience the relief that comes from putting the books down or jumping the fence in order to find relief. This is called chronic stress and can lead to a multitude of diseases.  Anxiety and numbness become the dominate emotions associated with chronic stress. 

Here’s this month’s invitation:

Decide today to put bare your stresses when necessary and then to put them down and jump to safety.  

Here’s how:

Until next time take life by the Helm and smooth sailing even in the storms!