Chris Cornell, Tiger Woods, and Handling the Stress of Influence

Last week, authorities found Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave) dead in his hotel room after a concert in Detroit, Michigan.  First responders listed the cause of death as suicide.  Millions mourn the talented singer, songwriter, activist, and family man.
 
Earlier this week, Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge.  Authorities found him asleep in his running car.  The vehicle suffered damage to the right side, and both tires were flat. 
 
Both musician and golfer have legions of fans who have walked with them through the ups and downs of respective addiction and excess.  Sadly, tales of talented, influential people rising and falling are all too common.  
 
And while few of us will maintain the level of acclaim and fame that these men did, nearly all of us are in places of influence.  Whether you be a doctor, pastor, employer, father, mother, older sibling, etc., being an influencer offers so many challenges.  People depend on you, look up to you, and the pressure is often great.
 
Seeing these influencers fall, what should we learn?  What steps should we put in place to protect ourselves?
 
Well, the tips are simple, but they are also hard to implement and maintain.  Here are a few.
 
Take care of yourself physically.  Exercise and nutrition enable you to handle stress better.  They don’t prevent every potential disaster, but they do protect the body from sickness and disease.  A discipline of movement provides great stress release.  Without these practices, the body and the mind always move towards excess.
 
Establish and maintain spiritual disciplines.  The soul’s pursuit of prayer and study enable the influencer to reorient and decompress.  The lack of these things leaves the mind to its own ends, and that is never a good place. 
 
Find a trusted and authoritative confidant.  It has been said by many in several different fashions, but these truth should have an impact:  You are only as sick as your secrets.  If you are struggling with depression, addiction, eating disorders, pornography, etc., an authoritative confidant is a must.  Find someone in whom you can confide.   Give them the permission to speak boldly into your life.
 
These tips alone will not protect you in every way.  But as you seek to influence others, these tips will establish a pattern in your life that will protect you from being left to your own devices.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO of ProSight Success (consulting the eye care industry) and pastor of Evident Grace Fellowship in Fredericksburg, VA.
 
If you are having thoughts of suicide, you can find help at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Phone Number.  Call them 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.