02 Feb Susan’s Sound Advice #121
If the word “what if” crops up more than a few times a day, then I would say that you are a classic worrier. You feel that if you worry just enough, then you can control all those “what ifs” and then stop worrying. It’s a vicious cycle. By not trusting in your capacity to handle life’s curveballs, you “what if” in order to figure out what can go wrong, even before it happens. I won’t go into all the reasons why worry is a waste of time…I’ve written about that before. Always remember the difference between concern and worry. Concern is taking precautions because it’s icy…this is fact based. Worry is thinking that a meteor is going to fall from the sky and hit you on the head. This is fiction based. Whenever a worrisome thought arises, ask yourself, “is this fact or fiction”?
I started doing a little ritual many years ago and it really works. Take an empty, vertical tissue box and write the words “Surrender Box” across it. Whenever you have a worry, write it down on a piece of paper, fold it up and place it in the box. You “surrender”the worry and the feeling is liberating. Months later, take a look at what you’ve thrown into the box. You’ll be surprised at how many of these worries never came to be!
I wish you all a “worry-free” day. Exercise your trust muscle. Everything will be o. k. !
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