Stress Management - Ditch the Golden Handcuffs for Heartfelt Job Satisfaction

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Is Stress Signaling Time for a Career Change?Is your work wearing you
down, making you sick or driving you nuts? Are you wearing golden
handcuffs with a high stress tag attached? Do you wish you had the
courage to make a change for more satisfaction and less stress?
For inspiration, next time you're in Vermont you might want to look up
the fellow I met today, David Stember.
Stember's Career Shift for Greater Personal Peace and Less Stress
A little over five years ago, Stember was just like you, tied up with
corporate consulting contracts but knowing deep inside that he was due
for a change. He had just peacefully, with mutual agreement and
caring, ended a 24-year marriage. He wrapped up a final business
contract and left his long time home in Los Angeles for the Northeast
Kingdom of Vermont.
After a year of exploration and reflection, he bought the Craftsbury
General Store. "As soon as I walked in, I knew this was it," Stember
says.
Many challenges and much growth later, Stember declares, "From a level
of heartfelt satisfaction, it's been great!" He is obviously relaxed
and at peace with himself despite the struggles inherent in owning and
growing a 150-year-old general store in a community of 1200 souls.
Rewards Outweigh Stressors
For Stember, the stresses of balancing the books -- steadily
increasing sales are still challenged by needs for expansion and
repairs -- are hugely offset by his positive connections with the
community. "I'm so involved here, and it's such a rich experience," he
says.
Stember says, "I tell everyone, from the board members to the
customers, that we're here to love every single person that walks in
the door." My sense is that Stemper means this from the bottom of his
heart. He radiates enthusiasm for both the store and his new community
and has embraced town meetings and the long-standing local focus on
sustainable economy right along with small town entrepreneurship.
Joy of Community
Since Stember bought the Craftsbury General Store, it has enjoyed a
healthy revival as a town center, becoming an upbeat, even joyful
meeting place offering everything from basic hardware and Vermont-made
goods to wine, organic produce and a delicious variety of deli and
home-cooked dishes.
Stember has enjoyed even more community support since offering shares
of stock for public ownership. "It's amazing how everyone responded,"
he says.
The front door opened and closed dozens of times during my short
visit, with cheerful greetings from folks who have obviously known
each other for a long time. I eavesdropped on one woman happily
sharing how she no longer has to drive to the co-op in a distant
community for her produce, and how the pears are extra good and
cheaper than in a bigger store some miles away.
No wonder Stember's eyes glow with peaceful satisfaction and his mouth
so often creases into a grin.
What can you learn from Stember's experience?
1. Make healthier career choices. If work strains are creating low
vitality, illness or ongoing mental and emotional stress, pay
attention to your need for a healthier way of working. Quite
literally, if we want to stick around and enjoy life, most of us had
better find ways to de-stress our work.
2. Heed inner wisdom. If you have inner promptings that it's time to
make a change, listen to your heart.
3. Consider and consult with those dear to you. Reflect on what you
really want to do from a heart-centered perspective and what you are
willing to sacrifice on a material level. Discuss your dreams
thoroughly with your family, and hopefully get their agreement.
4. Make a plan for your next steps. If you can afford it, give
yourself a little "recovery time" before plunging into your next
career phase.
5. Be realistic. Prepare for the emotional and financial challenges of
a new career or business. You won't be completely stress free, but
your new work should include meeting exciting, expansive challenges
(stressors) as you fulfill your long-time desires.
6. Go for your dream! Whether it's for a more community-oriented
business as in Stember's case, going back to school to learn new
skills, or just switching employers, take the steps that will help you
live from your authentic self with greater fulfillment and
satisfaction and consequently much less stress.
Being proactive on behalf of your heartfelt dreams is a solution-
focused way to succeed with stress management!