Fred Premji has a great post on Blog Motivation about how stress can help to build success. Here is an excerpt:

So much has been said about how stress is like the black plague, and it’s all bad and we should all do whatever is necessary to get rid of all stress from our lives. Truth is, stress can be a vital benefit to your life. Under the right circumstances, stress can be your best friend! Let’s look at some of the reasons why you need some stress:

Productivity
Short bursts of stress can really light a fire under you! Whenever you feel some stress about finishing a certain task, it can create the right inspiration to get you going.

Competition
Anyone that’s ever played a sport knows that feeling those butterflies in your stomach and feeling anxious to getting out there and win is absolutely necessary to succeed. … Stress can help you rise above your competition and guide you to succeed at heights you never thought you could reach.

Security
This is an interesting one, because on some level, we do experience this on a daily basis, and it can save our life. … It triggers a fight-or-flight mode within you… In such situations, stress can bring up alertness, higher levels of perception, and quick decision-making skills that can truly mean the difference between life & death.

Health
We all know the damage that long bouts of stress can do to one’s life. It’s the cause of a vast array of cancers and diseases, as well as making us age faster. However, short bursts of stress can actually be good for your health. As a matter of fact, it is vital to your well being. Research has shown that it can strengthen your immune system and prevent against such diseases as Alzheimer’s, in that it keeps your brain cells working at peak capacities. … A short burst of stress is like an energy boost, and that is why it can make us do incredible deeds.

Stress is unavoidable. It’s a part of life. The better we understand how to cope with it and use it to our advantage, the better we will succeed at whatever it is that we are doing. Stress can be a valuable tool in anything that you do. When you feel stress, recognize it and channel it in ways that create a benefit for you. Just like any tool, use it properly and the result is magic.

If you want to read the full blog follow this link:
http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/03/4-reasons-why-you-need-stress/