Worrying is so 2010. It’s human to worry—we did it pretty well from 2007-2010, with the recession heralded by the subprime mortgage crisis and all. The news says that we show signs of recovery, and yet we worry. Centuries ago, the Mayans developed a calendar that predicted the end of the world (as we know it) in 2012. We’ve had Nostradamus make several predictions, many of which we’ve interpreted to the true, which seems to add weight to this argument. Add the Christian Second Coming, the Norse idea of Ragnarok, Armageddon, etc.., and you get an event that may or may not happen anytime soon, and for the most part, is outside of our control. And yet we worry.
Worrying is a fruitless endeavour. I tell this to Sarah all the time. Then she hits me. (Kidding.) But seriously, what does worrying gain you?
- grey hairs
- wrinkles
- deteriorated health
Yeah, oh man—I really want to worry now.
But to be concerned; to be proactive; to plan—none of these are bad things. Feel free to prepare for things that may happen so that you’re not caught unaware. But when things start to usurp your thoughts and cause you to stress—it’s time to rework your mental processes. The future you worry about is like trying to get a date with a supermodel—you can think about it all you want, but it doesn’t mean it’s actually going to happen. Worrying is like an earworm that makes it way deep into your conscious, shifting your thoughts away from anything productive.
So I say don’t worry. Worrying will only hold you back. The more you worry, the less you get anywhere. Spend that time thinking on happier thoughts—things you’d like to be; places you’d like to go; your dreams; your aspirations. The worries—take care of what you can, and leave the rest to time, patience, and hard work. You’ll get where you need to be if it’s important to you!
Worrying has been a waste of time since the beginning of it. The Bible can tell you all about it:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:24, Holy Bible, NIV Edition
Or perhaps if that’s not your cup of tea, how about a word from Mad Magazine?
“What, me worry?” — Alfred E. Neuman, Mad Magazine
So when those thoughts creep up on you out of the dark and you feel overwhelmed? When your world is crumbling around you? When your mind feels like it’s going to break apart?
You know what? Don’t worry about it.
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