Worry can look so virtuous. When we stress over the big meeting that's coming up, we look 'dedicated.' When we obsess and overprotect our kids, we can appear to be 'good parents.' When we can't stop thinking about our problems (or the problems of those we love) we look concerned and conscientious. All of this is an illusion! Worrying about tomorrow is actually a giant waste of time!
I saw this quote on a friend's facebook status today:
"Worrying about the future is like trying to eat the hole in a doughnut. It's munching on what isn't." ~ Barry Neil Kaufman
I love that!
Yes, we need to plan for the future. Yes, we ought to think things through and make sound decisions. Of course we need to provide sound guidance and direction for our kids. None of that has anything to do with worry.
How many hours of your life have you spent worrying about things that never came to pass? I don't even know if I can count that high if I'm honest with myself! It's especially frustrating to worry about things we absolutely cannot control!
We need to do all we can to address any situation in our life... and then release the outcome. Once we've done all we can do, we need to relax and allow.
Stress and worry takes an enormous toll on our physical and emotional well being. We can learn to handle stress differently, and we can learn to release worry from our habitual patterns of reacting to life.
It is futile to ruminate over what has yet to come. It wastes energy and it diverts our attention away from actions that actually make a difference!
Place worry where it belongs - in the trash can! Worry not!!