Do
you worry? Do you find yourself awake at 3 am, staring at the ceiling, unable
to find a comfortable position and ruminating on what seem to be a thousand
possible scenarios for your life? Or you hear news about a story that's
happening some place a far distance away in the world and you find yourself
unable to stop thinking about it? Do you have frequent conversations with
someone who says how worried they are about so and so?
This might be you or someone you know...a worrywart. Not sure? Here's how Random House Webster's Dictionary defines worrywart:
"a person who tends to worry habitually and often needlessly".
Earlier this week, I was speaking to my wise chair-centric yoginis, one woman in her 90's and the other in her late 80's. I asked them if they were "worriers" and they both had similar replies. "I used to worry, but I've learned that it really doesn't help anything or make a difference. Whatever happens, happens and worrying about it won't prevent that from happening."
When we worry, our thoughts are projected into the future. This futuristic thinking is often no more than an embellished storyline that is getting created in our imagination. What percentage of what we worry about actually happens? I don't have stats to back up this answer, but many people say that a very large percentage of what we futuristically ponder never happens. NEVER! Wow! That seems to be a lot of misspent energy.
And according to the definition, worrying is a habit. That's right, just like smoking, or over using a word or phrase (like, ya know), it's a pattern that is learned. The good news is, if it's something we've learned, we can un-learn it. The challenge is to recognize when we actually step into a habitual pattern. We can't change something that we have no awareness around, so becoming aware is a huge first step to altering our behavior.
The definition also states that it is often needless. The time and energy we direct towards a situation that is completely ineffective to altering the outcome is wasted time. Life is precious and zooms by so quickly, so why not convert some of this worrying energy into recognizing what we DO have the power to control and what we don't.
I do believe there's a difference between worrying about and thinking about something. The worrying element tends to have a negative pull connected to it, whereas simply thinking about an issue has a more neutral response. It's something that we can think about and then let go. Worriers tend to cling onto the issue, creating higher levels of anxiety than perhaps the situation actually warrants. And perhaps the act of worrying is the worrywarts way of showing they care or a way they express their love for someone or something.
My thought for the week is to turn this expression of care into self-care by letting go of the charge associated with worrying, most often over something that we have very little control. Acknowledge that the uneasy feeling arises, find a breath and another way to be supportive of the situation. The result could be the lesson of greater freedom and acceptance. And as the catchy jingle reminds us, "Don't Worry....Be Happy"!
This might be you or someone you know...a worrywart. Not sure? Here's how Random House Webster's Dictionary defines worrywart:
"a person who tends to worry habitually and often needlessly".
Earlier this week, I was speaking to my wise chair-centric yoginis, one woman in her 90's and the other in her late 80's. I asked them if they were "worriers" and they both had similar replies. "I used to worry, but I've learned that it really doesn't help anything or make a difference. Whatever happens, happens and worrying about it won't prevent that from happening."
When we worry, our thoughts are projected into the future. This futuristic thinking is often no more than an embellished storyline that is getting created in our imagination. What percentage of what we worry about actually happens? I don't have stats to back up this answer, but many people say that a very large percentage of what we futuristically ponder never happens. NEVER! Wow! That seems to be a lot of misspent energy.
And according to the definition, worrying is a habit. That's right, just like smoking, or over using a word or phrase (like, ya know), it's a pattern that is learned. The good news is, if it's something we've learned, we can un-learn it. The challenge is to recognize when we actually step into a habitual pattern. We can't change something that we have no awareness around, so becoming aware is a huge first step to altering our behavior.
The definition also states that it is often needless. The time and energy we direct towards a situation that is completely ineffective to altering the outcome is wasted time. Life is precious and zooms by so quickly, so why not convert some of this worrying energy into recognizing what we DO have the power to control and what we don't.
I do believe there's a difference between worrying about and thinking about something. The worrying element tends to have a negative pull connected to it, whereas simply thinking about an issue has a more neutral response. It's something that we can think about and then let go. Worriers tend to cling onto the issue, creating higher levels of anxiety than perhaps the situation actually warrants. And perhaps the act of worrying is the worrywarts way of showing they care or a way they express their love for someone or something.
My thought for the week is to turn this expression of care into self-care by letting go of the charge associated with worrying, most often over something that we have very little control. Acknowledge that the uneasy feeling arises, find a breath and another way to be supportive of the situation. The result could be the lesson of greater freedom and acceptance. And as the catchy jingle reminds us, "Don't Worry....Be Happy"!
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