I Just Wish I Had Worried More

Said no one … ever!

Why? Because worrying doesn’t do any good.

That’s always crystal clear in hindsight.

If the things we were worried about ended up turning out okay, worrying clearly did no good. And if the worst happens, it’s not as if worrying helped change the outcome!

A client shared a quote by Keith Caserta recently, “Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe!” I love that.

But it’s human to worry, especially in the uncertain times we’re living in right now.

Don’t beat yourself up for doing it. Just realize it does you no good. In fact, it’s counterproductive and damaging. It causes you stress and stress manifests physically in the form of anxiety and more deep-seated diseases.

Okay, so nobody’s gonna stand up and champion the cause of worry. We know there’s no cheese down that tunnel, but we’re inclined to go down the path anyway.

So, what can we do?

A couple of things. One is a strategy, and one is a change in the way you view the world and your place in it.

The strategy is simple. Think about things and do things that take your mind off the problems and challenges we’re facing, even if it’s just by way of distraction.

Go play.

Look for things that are RIGHT in your world.

Appreciate the gifts you’ve been given.

Be grateful for the good things in life and the lessons the tough times teach us. Be grateful for the miracle of life.

Worries tend to soften and even melt away when we focus on good stuff … fun stuff, happy stuff, miraculous stuff.

The other thing that makes a world of difference is to surrender.

Wait! … what?

Give up? Give into despair?

NO.

Not that kind of surrender. Healthy surrender … peaceful surrender … to the deep-down knowing that the Universe will provide for us and give us what we need when we need it, even when what we get isn’t always pleasant or what we thought we wanted.

This is a surrender of control to the wisdom of those forces in the Universe that are greater than we can even imagine.

You “let it go” and trust that everything will work out. No need to “push the train.”

Is it true that everything will work out?

I personally believe that’s so. But what’s important is not that it’s true, it’s that the belief itself serves you. It unbinds you. It de-stresses you. It makes you feel better … freer … more peaceful … more hopeful. And that, in itself, is a blessing.

Recall Reinhold Niebuhr’s serenity prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

DO what you can … what makes sense … what can make a difference … and then let it go.

So, how do you let go?

What I want to leave you with today are a couple of resources I’ve found to be really valuable in helping me maintain my balance overall … or quiet a worried mind and soothe a troubled heart. These will help you get to a better feeling place where you think better, happier, more hopeful thoughts … and worry a lot less.

I think you’ll love them.

EFT … Emotional Freedom Technique is renowned for relieving stress and anxiety. It’s been scientifically documented to be very successful with folks suffering from PTSD, phobias … and just life stresses. Nick Ortner of The Tapping Solution is currently offering these free tapping meditations to relieve stress and worry.
I’ve recently added meditation to my daily gratitude practice. I love the book and app, Ten Percent Happier. The author, Dan Harris, has a free meditation livestream every weekday at 3 pm Eastern.

My life is calmer and happier as a result of these practices. Please, let me know what happens to your worries when you try them.

I’m intending that they simply melt away.

Love,

Denise