Stress in life.

Once I went to an orchid farm in Sungai Dua, Mainland Penang to get orchid plants for my garden. My wife and I got to know the then young owner, Michael, who told us his orchids is his hobby. He would spend time taking us around the place, talking about the beautiful blooms and the various varieties of orchids at his farm.

He was very successful with his farm. To think of it, there was this man who got lots of money just working at his hobby. What an ideal job cause anyone who spends time at his interest could never consider the effort put in as work. There would be no unhealthy stress and happiness is a certainty when the objects of interest produce attractive flowers to be appreciated by other orchid lovers who look forward to possessing the plants.

That is also the reason I choose to do the work I love to enjoy. I have no boss to please and my time is my very own to use as I wish. Do you know that at one time I did not even have a hand-phone so that I do not hear any call for my assistance unless I am ready for it? Life for me is now so much more relaxing and enjoyable.

Unfortunately, there are still people who struggle to achieve certain degrees to please their parents to find that the work their degrees lead them to were not of much interest to them except as a way of earning a salary. It would still be alright if their job was not so stressful as to lead to depression.

This did happen to the daughter of one family. So far, cases of depression which I have heard of happened to the females. Are the ladies more susceptible to depression? Well, perhaps researchers ought to look into this and find the truth of the matter and hopefully discover a solution for it.

Back to this poor young lady who was struck down with depression just a year after being employed. Her nervous breakdown started with her hair turning white and a loss of appetite. By the end of just one year, she was a pathetic sight, unable to face her workload. Since then, she had not been able to work. Unless she finds someone to help her understand her situation and accept it while doing meditation or yoga to remove her stress, this kind of situation is difficult to overcome. However, it does not mean there is no way out. There is always a way out if the person is ready to have it.

I believe this is what happens to people who have no interest whatsoever in their work. It was drudgery, difficult to overcome as those people had to face what they dread each day, every week, month after month, from one year to another with only a slight reprieve during weekends and holidays.

Of course there are people who are made of sterner stuff, never buckling under despite the pressure of boring work day in day out. These are the people who, when they no longer enjoy the work, watch the clock, looking forward to the end of the day when they can just pack up and leave everything behind so that they can find means to release the stress in some creative manner. For such people, they have found a way out of the predicament of being in an uninterested job. Here, the family can help the breadwinner(s) to unwind and save themselves from the problem of stress and depression. For those whithout a family to fall back on, there are friends. And for those introverts who find difficulty with company, you still have a good thirty minutes of jogging or a trek up some hill where you can sweat off the stress, stretch your muscles, then relax them with a warm bath or massage and a cool drink under the stars or while listening to music or watching a show; whatever is your enjoyment.

Knowing this parents ought to allow their children to choose to study their field of inclination. Parents would get happier children with a brighter future, not just in terms of finance, but in all aspects of life. They may never become millionaires but they will be rich in every aspect. Do we really need to be millionaires to be truly happy?