In a recent Pittsburgh Business Times interview, Dan Adamski, senior managing director of JLL, a Fortune 500 commercial real estate services and property investment firm which has grown the Pittsburgh office from five to more than 550 employees since he started there, was asked about dealing with stress. He believes that life lessons learned while serving in the Marines have been instrumental in maintaining his work-life balance during his career in commercial real estate.
How do you cope with the most demanding aspects of your job?
Daily exercise is essential for relieving the physical aspects of stress, but stepping back occasionally and regaining perspective is key for my mental well-being. Having never left western Pennsylvania growing up, my experiences overseas in the Marine Corps provided invaluable perspective regarding how incredibly fortunate we are to live in our portion of the greatest country on Earth. I’ve learned it’s difficult to be overwhelmed and grateful at the same time.
It’s difficult to be overwhelmed and grateful at the same time. It's hard to be angry and grateful at the same time. It's also hard to be anxious, nervous, jealous or insecure and grateful at the same time. What a great reminder. How do you put that into play in your life? One thought, instead of making resolutions this year, make a gratitude list. Write down things for which you are thankful. When your mind is assailed with negative feelings and thoughts, pull out your gratitude list and mull it over for a few minutes. See how meditating and saturating your mind with thankfulness gets you refocused in a positive way! There are many reasons to be drawn to the negative. Life is hard. But do the mental work of thinking right! St. Paul said, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Happy New Year and blessings on you in 2020. Make it a great year! I'm going to start on my gratitude list!