Chuck your worries

I was at a wedding this weekend, and attempted to make small talk with a very nervous groom-to-be.  I asked him what the cause of his jitters was, and he replied, "I hope the weather stays nice, and that it doesn't rain."

Five minutes from being married, he was worried about the weather.

I asked, "How many times in your life did worrying about the weather affect it?"  "None," he said, with a sheepish look on his face.  "Exactly," I replied, and wished him lots of fun on his wedding day and honeymoon. 

Worry is, in a word, stupid. 

Yes, I said stupid.  Pointless.  Useless.
   
When we worry, the stress hormone, cortisol, is released into the bloodstream (the same one that's helps us in a fight-or-flight situation).  All too often, I see the ravages of chronic worry where people make themselves physically and emotionally ill.  Sometimes, when I get myself in a worry spiral, I can't think of anything but the focus of my concern, I get a huge headache and my sleep gets jacked up.

[I admit it...I behave in stupid ways on occasion.]

We're not born "worriers."  Humans learn how to worry from watching other people.  We use worry as an attempt to keep away and prevent that which is undesirable, or to draw to and attract those things we want.  It comes from our uncanny need to control everything:  our relationships, our money, our career paths, where we live, how we live, and so on.  

With one exception.

We have no power over the outcome of the things with which we concern ourselves.

Say it with  me:  We have no power over the outcome of the things with which we concern ourselves.

Worry does nothing but sap you of your precious energy, consumes your mind so it's prevented from focusing on what you can control, and it never, ever affects the outcome.  (I say this to you to remind myself, too.)

Admittedly, worry is a tough habit to break.  I recommend focusing on the things we have power over, such as the food we eat, whether we exercise, or how much money to spend on a new pair of shoes.

Damn worry.  Free your mind.  Say "The Serenity Prayer."  Learn how to take on a "it is what it is" mindset.  Or, as they say in the U.K., "chuck it."   



All images courtesy of Google Images, unless otherwise noted.
(c) Robyn King.  All Rights Reserved.