Time to Stop Worrying

Time to Stop Worrying

It’s a busy world and we, as humans have so many things to do, so much to worry about, so much information to consume, such as what products are on sale, how the weather is going to be tomorrow, how can I find a job, tax rates going up and wages going down, climate change, or whatever is it. A world that changes and grows so fast with new technologies and new ways for a better life and lifestyle affects our lives on a personal, professional, social and financial level, and forces us to adapt to the circumstances to survive.

That need for survival can cause a lot of stress and make us worry too much about daily things – “I’m stuck in the traffic; I’m going to be late, what my boss will tell me?”, “My car needs service, I couldn’t pay for it because I’m behind on my bills, what if I don’t get paid this month? What my friends will tell about me if I don’t have money, maybe I’m not worthy enough.” All these worry thoughts about our job, our personal and social life, the way we see ourselves, the way we think about problems or unpleasant things that might happen create negative feelings such as self-doubt, lack of confidence, insecurity, overthinking of our problems, and we end up unhappy, stressed, frustrated and worrying much more than we should  

 It’s also important to mention that worry can make us not take into consideration all the facts and info available about a problem, leading us this way to the wrong decisions, even a dead end.

So, what can we do to reduce and eliminate worry?

First of all, we need to start from ourselves; we have to recognize the worry, to accept what it does to us, and to decide that we don’t want it anymore in our lives. We must not let worry stop us from what we want to become, because when we worry about something, our thoughts become negative and we start living in fear. As a result, we jeopardize our well-being and the quality of our lives and experiences. On the other hand, not all things are positive and we need to have self-awareness to silence the voice that makes us worry.

Self-awareness creates confidence; confidence removes doubt and worry. Of course, there are things and circumstances that are going to be more difficult and more challenging than others but as Jim Rohn said: “Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.” So, having self-awareness, knowing our values and ourselves, we don’t walk away from the problem but we face it straightaway without letting fear or negative feelings control us.

Last but not least, we can eliminate worry through self-help and self-improvement. Setting goals, planning with detail on how to achieve them, surrounding ourselves with positive people will make us think positive too, being thankful for the things we have. Besides that, we can make a list of all the things we are thankful for and update it every week. By developing ourselves, we build the discipline to succeed and grow. I would like to end this article with a part of William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus”;

“It matters not how strait the gate,

                How charged with punishments the scroll,

                I am the master of my fate,

               I am the captain of my soul.”