Practical Help for When You’re Overwhelmed

There’s risk in going too fast.

I’m reminded of the time a group of friends invited me to an afternoon of road racing at a Le Mans style race track. We were handed the keys to Corvettes, Lamborghinis, and other high-end performance cars and given just one instruction: “Have fun.”

The track had S-turns, hair pin curves, and straightaways where you could reach speeds of over 125 miles per hour if you were daring enough. It was exhilarating!

But there was one moment that shot fear through my body and made it hard to breathe for a split second. I came out of one of the curves a little loose and felt the back end of the car fish tail. It wasn’t much, I’m sure, but it didn’t take much to scare a guy who, at the time, was usually behind the wheel of a minivan driving his kids to school.

That day I learned that intense experiences are a thrill … if you’re in control.

But what happens when you’re not in control?

I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Maybe even now you feel under pressure, like a wave is crashing over you, sweeping you off of your feet and leaving you completely upside-down and bewildered.

In the midst of circumstances you didn’t choose and that you can’t control, is it still possible to say, “I’m at peace. I have hope”?

It’s not easy, but I believe my guests on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, co-authors Kathy Lipp and Cheri Gregory, can offer you practical help and hope if you feel overwhelmed by job responsibilities, marriage and parenting challenges, and all the stuff of life that is beyond your ability to influence.

Join me on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, or on our free phone app and you’ll learn:

• Which of the four personalities for interpreting and handling stress most naturally suits you.

• How your unique personality can guide your decision making.

• Why you sometimes need to “get on the boat.”

• How and when to say no.

• How to work together with your spouse to avoid overburdening each other.

Bursts of speed can be exhilarating … for a time. But we weren’t designed to live at that pace. To live in peace, we must slow down enough that we can appreciate the life happening right in front of us.

If you’re overwhelmed, you can make a change. Give us a call for help. We will call you back free of charge, spend some time with you on the phone, and then refer you to a like-minded counselor in your area, if needed. The number during business hours is 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

Kathy Lipp and Cheri Gregory’s book Overwhelmed: How to Quiet the Chaos and Restore Your Sanity is available for a gift of any amount. For more information, click here or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).