My client gracefully but strongly settled herself amongst the pillows on the couch in the consulting room. She stated, “Stress is a choice. I want to make a conscious decision not to stress. It’s just not worth it.”
I waited.
She continued, “I ask myself: ‘Is this healthy?’ And if it’s not, then I’m not going to do it. I’ve worked hard.”
“What do you believe about yourself, now?” I asked gently.
“That I matter. I’m worth it. And no amount of getting stressed out is going to be helpful.”
“Sounds like you really get this.”
“I do. We’ve talked about how I have felt about myself. How I looked for ways to say, “I have this problem, this diagnosis.” You wouldn’t tell me if I was right!”
“And what’s important right now?”
“I can choose how I see things. I can choose to breathe. I used to hate it when you kept interrupting me to say, ‘Just for a moment, just breathe.” But I see now what you meant.”
“Wow. Sounds like you’ve got it.” “Yeah. Stress is just a choice.”
“She’s got it! Let’s celebrate and bottle this feeling! Let’s anchor it in your body.”
“You gonna ask me to breathe in again? Really? Oh, alright.” She smiles.