How to Escape Death, Sadness and Stress

Nearly 30 years ago, my mother was dying of cancer, but I had to take a business trip from New York to Korea. This was about nine years into a ten-year period when I lost both my parents to that deadly disease; my mom's death wasn't imminent, but I felt guilty not being able to see her that weekend. In truth, I also felt terrified at the prospect of dealing with my mother's death when I still wasn't over losing my dad.

During the last few years of this period, I went to Hong Kong and Korea about 14 times. I knew exactly what to expect: 40 hours in the air during a single week, plus dozens of hours in factories. It would be stress on top of stress on top of stress.

To avoid going crazy, I did something crazy. I put Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell album in my portable CD player, and played it over and over and over again. Meatloaf took me over the Pacific Ocean and into Korean airspace. He helped me pick up my luggage and go through Customs.

For me, doing this is like suspending reality. The repetition calms me down and turns the world into a comic strip; nothing seems real or serious.

Last Friday, I accidentally slipped into the same strategy. Flying back from the West Coast, my plane was unable to land in Chicago as planned. Instead, we diverted to Milwaukee, where we refueled and headed back to Chicago, where I finally caught my next flight to New York.

I was listening to six Barenaked Ladies songs when we started circling Chicago for the first time, and when I heard the pilot mention Milwaukee, I decided to let the songs keep playing until we made it to New York.

Once again, the strategy worked. Nothing seemed too aggravating. I had a good book and a comfortable seat. My Friday night plans were already shot, so I had all the time in the world.

In an interesting coincidence, one of the Barenaked Ladies songs was Brian Wilson, about the fabulously-reclusive creative genius behind the Beach Boys success. Those lyrics include these lines:

So I'm lying here, just staring at the ceiling tiles.
and I'm thinking about what to think about.
Just listening and relistening to Smiley Smile,
and I'm wondering if this is some kind of creative drought
because I am

Lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
Well I'm lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did.

Just click Play below, and you can hear the song for yourself...

Next time you get stressed out, try listening and relistening to a few of your favorite songs.

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs and executives. Learn more at Kasanoff.com. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.

Image: The album cover art from Bat Out of Hell