A wise person once told me that worry is like a rocking chair; rocking you back and forth but getting you nowhere. How simple, yet true. It seems the majority of us spend countless hours worrying over the details of our lives. Our challenges become all the more monstrous as we invest time examining them over and over in our minds. Often, we frequently anticipate the worst, which is of little use and leaves us feeling depleted. We all know not to worry and are warned against it, but we do it anyway. Where’s the appeal in worrying? Why do we keep doing it, even when we know it’s a waste of energy?
Logically, we know that worrying does not change anything. In fact, the precious time and energy we expend in thinking things over would be better applied to taking action and physically doing something, if at all possible. Even if there is nothing you can physically do, then there is no need to worry either. In both cases, worry does not serve us in a positive way but keeps us exhausting ourselves needlessly.
Although it takes shape in the mind, worry produces a domino effect. It wears us out physically, emotionally and spiritually. We feel tired and it begins to show on our face, affect our work and relationships.
A lot of us tend to let worry take over our lives. We worry all the time about many things, from the minutiae of life to the overwhelming details. Worrying holds such negative connotations; yet we still do it for little or no pay-off. If only we could learn to use our time to imagine the positive rather than the negative. Of course, this is much easier said than done, especially when faced with the seemingly unconquerable.
Even when all is well, some of us find things to worry about; creating unnecessary drama. Some of us find a sense of self in worry, however nonsensical this might seem. If we are worried about something, especially when it’s something trivial, we have something to talk about and it gives us a sense of identity in many ways. Contrarily, there are people who face enormous challenges yet seem to be peaceful and determined to enjoy life, without the worry. When we meet people such as these, we often feel silly for overdramatising our petty problems.
Perhaps it provides a misguided sense of control for some. If a situation or circumstance leaves us feeling powerless, we feel as if there is nothing left to do but worry. We can’t seem to escape the different, mostly negative, scenarios created by our own imaginations.
Surely, we can use our imaginations for the greater good; visualising the outcome we wish. Isn’t this a better way of using our energy?
Hindsight is a great tool for establishing the redundancy of worry. When we look back over the years and see the things we used to worry about, we see how it was so uncalled for. Issues, challenges and problems, come and go. When we are in the midst of some crisis, it seems like nothing else exists, but eventually they pass, which is the nature of most things in life.
Trying to extinguish all traces of worry takes practice. Letting go allows us to retain a sense of peace and clarity that can be beneficial in finding any possible solutions to our challenges. A muddled mind consumed with worrying thoughts only serves to hinder us and we are blinded to the way out.
When we remain immovable, we find it harder to look at our situation from different vantage points. Worrying keeps our vision locked on the one picture. If we allow it to rock us back and forth, we will undoubtedly stay stuck in the same spot, not moving forward or going anywhere. On the other hand, if we learn to eradicate worry before it takes root, we are more open to possibilities that would otherwise be lost to us.
