Sometimes the pressure for us to do what is “right” can cause insurmountable amounts of stress. When we attempt to control the future or atone for past mistakes, it can be an effort in futility. This is not just in our personal or financial outlooks; it can affect us mentally and even physically as well. This is why learning to move on is so important. Take Tiger Woods withdrawing from the Player's Championship golf tournament last weekend, for example.  Immediately, speculation abounded as to what was happening to the great champion.  And no matter how unsavory you think his private behavior has been, he is without question, a great champion of golf.  Before I go on, for the record, I gave up golf myself a few years ago.  I find it (borrowing a title from a book) a good walk spoiled.  I have never liked the game, though I’ll admit, I play it well.  When I was playing it was only once or twice a year and I generally shot in the 80s and occasionally in the 70s, which for those of you who have never played the game, is good.  The average golfer shoots around 100 and in golf, the lower the score the better, but I digress.

The point here is that while Tiger complained of a "possible bulging disc" in his neck, there was wild speculation that he had folded under the pressure of what has been going on in his life. Of course, I have absolutely no idea what the truth is, but I suspect that is a little bit of both; he is in pain both mentally and physically.  If life has taught me anything it is that we manifest within ourselves much of our health - both mental and physical - and the two cannot be separated.  Pile on the stress and it won't be long before many things, including the body, begin to degrade.

What this means to us is that if we allow the stress to build up in our own lives it won't be long before our health deteriorates and a never ending circle of pain, followed by depression, followed by illness, followed by more stress begins.  Once this happens, it is hard to dig our way out.  So if you find yourself in a stressful situation, and let's face it, these days there is a lot of stress out there, you have to find a way out.

For whatever it is worth, in my own life when stress comes on which leads inevitably to worry, I remind myself that in nature there is no such thing as control.  Like my grandfather used to say, "Men plan and God laughs."  We just think our plans are important and that we can control the outcome of things.  In fact, control is an illusion and therefore worry does not affect outcome one little bit.  Every minute we spend worrying is a minute wasted.  Things are going to turn out the way they will - which is unpredictable and nothing we can stop.  Therefore, when I am in stress I get my affairs related to the stress in the best order that I can, don't rehash it once that is done, and let the chips fall where they may.  99 out of 100 times it comes out alright and when it doesn't I will deal with it then.  Anticipating disaster that usually never comes is not a smart thing to do.  It just feeds the circle of pain.  So my recommendation to you and to Tiger is to chill, don't rehash past mistakes, put your life as right as you can, remembering that the enemy of good is perfect so that is unattainable, and let the chips fall where they will.  Most of the time it will be for the better and in the meanwhile you sleep better and stay healthier.