Letting Go Part 2: Letting Go of Worry
Welcome to Part 2 of my series on "Letting Go". I wrote a post on Letting Go of Judgement that received some positive feedback last week, so here is the next post, which is going to focus on "Letting Go of Worry".
Are you a huge worrier? I wouldn't consider myself a huge worrier but I do catch myself worrying from time to time about different things... big and small. Unfortunately a lot of people in our society seem to always find something to worry about. If they can't find something then they actually invent things to worry about. How unfortunate is that? Mark Twain put it best (and this quote really hits home with me) when he said: "I've known a great many troubles, and most of them never happened." That saying is so true - most worries never do happen! And if they do, they're usually not as bad as we had anticipated. It is quite obvious to see that some of our worrying is a result of us thinking about our fears too much (as I look in the mirror). Our minds are very powerful and if we focus on worrying and negative thoughts over and over it can really wear on us and those around us. Some of us spend too much time and energy on things that offer us no real value and never move us forward, kinda like a car spinning wheels in the sand. None of us enjoy that feeling! So, as with being aware of making judgements, we also need to be aware of when we begin to worry. I feel a big part of worrying comes, once again, from our Ego. The Ego and this worrying not only creates stress, it has an impact (usually negatively) on what we create and manifest, and on our experience of life in general. Worrying is clearly something that many of us are all familiar with, can share with others in a way that will garner sympathy, empathy, or even pity, and is easy for us to go through day to day life experiencing. This is something the Ego attaches itself to, similar to being a "victim" and trying to make people feel sorry for us. I think we all can get caught in this trap from time to time and have to be aware when this happening. I believe that underneath our worrying we usually have deeper emotions like shame, fear, guilt, hurt, or anger, many of which are more difficult for us to feel and express so we turn to worrying and looking for sympathy. This serves as a great reminder for us to get more authentic, take better care of ourselves, and pay attention!
Neveah understands how to let go of worry. We can learn so much from our pets!
My best advice for letting go of worry (and I have to work on this myself from time to time) is to follow these simple steps:
- Stay in the present moment instead and not worry about the past or the future.
- If you ever feel worry creeping into your thoughts try to think of something to be grateful for or something/someone you really love. Sincerely try this and give it some effort. It doesn't happen easily and this may take some practice.
- Don't suppress the worrying or feelings as they usually will just come back at a later time (and may even be stronger). I think it's important to be positive but also to let the thoughts enter your mind... and then let them fade away. After they fade away, it would be a good time to think of something that you are grateful for.
Some people believe that if you aren't worrying then you aren't prepared when unfortunate things in life happen. I disagree with this and I think the more positive and calm you can remain throughout your days the healthier and happier you will be... and I think that's what we all wish for in our lives. If you have any other suggestions on how to let go of worry, please share them below in the comments section!
Take care,
Adrian
Comments [4]