Including Myself—and How One Moment Changed Everything
Stress doesn’t strike everyone the same way.
Some people seem to remain calm in chaos, while others—like me—can collapse under sudden change. I didn’t fully understand why until one long, exhausting night in Guatemala taught me a lesson I’ll never forget.
When Everything Fell Apart
After 16 hours of travel, I was moments away from relaxing into the final bus that would take me to meet an old friend. I was tired but excited; just the thought of seeing them again after years filled me with warmth.
Then the announcement came:
Bus canceled. No explanation.
Within minutes, all the anticipation drained from my body. The station attendant told me the next bus wouldn't arrive for 10 hours. It was 10 PM. The station was nearly empty. And I was stranded in rural Guatemala with almost no money left.
Fear crept in fast.
Not dramatic fear—quiet, suffocating fear.
The kind that sits on your chest and whispers, You’re not safe.
I paced the station, mind racing, heart pounding. I kept thinking:
“I should be on seat 23B right now… Why am I here?”
The more my mind resisted reality, the more stress took over.
The Moment That Shifted Everything
Then, a sentence I once heard from Eckhart Tolle surfaced in my mind:
“Stress arises when you are ‘here’ but wish to be ‘there.’”
I paused.
I breathed.
I finally looked around instead of fighting the moment.
And what I saw surprised me.
A mother gently breastfeeding her baby.
A man covering his wife’s shoulders with his jacket.
Someone feeding a stray dog.
Human tenderness everywhere—quiet, unforced, present.
Then a warm voice asked,
“Tienes hambre, mi amigo?”
(“Are you hungry, my friend?”)
A local family invited me to share their simple meal. Sitting on the cold floor, eating warm food made by strangers, something softened in me.
My fear dissolved.
My stress disappeared.
Gratitude took its place.
I didn’t wish to be anywhere else anymore.
Why Some People Experience More Stress
That night taught me a truth I had read many times but never embodied:
**Stress is not created by circumstances.
Stress is created by resistance.**
People prone to stress (like me) often:
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Over-identify with expectations
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Struggle with uncertainty
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Fight reality instead of accepting it
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Live in the future instead of the present
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Believe safety exists only in control
But mindfulness teaches the opposite:
Calm begins when resistance ends.
Peace begins when presence begins.
Mindfulness Tools That Help Dissolve Stress
1. Notice When Your Mind Wants to Be Somewhere Else
The fastest way to spike stress is wishing the moment were different.
Gently say to yourself:
“I am here now. Let me be here fully.”
2. Pause Before Reacting
A single slow breath interrupts the stress spiral.
3. Shift from Control to Curiosity
Instead of “This shouldn’t be happening,” try:
“What is this moment asking for?”
4. Look for Small Goodness Around You
Stress shrinks your world. Awareness expands it.
5. Let Life Support You
Sometimes peace arrives through unexpected kindness—if you’re open enough to see it.
The Lesson I Still Carry
Eckhart Tolle wrote:
“Wherever you are, be there totally.”
That night in Guatemala, I finally understood.
You can be stranded.
You can be exhausted.
You can be afraid.
Yet still be at peace—
if you stop resisting the moment you’re in.
Presence doesn’t change your circumstances.
It changes you inside your circumstances.
And sometimes, that’s all you truly need.
