Three types of worry seem to always pop up with regularity: worries about ourselves, worries about loved ones or others, and worries about things or “stuff”. Worries get in the way of our happy mood. Worries sometimes affect us physically.
In all of these cases, we tend to worry because we don’t know the outcome in advance. We can’t control the outcome. Nor can we know, in advance, whether or not we will like or be frustrated by the outcome. We simply never fully know what will happen. Yes, it’s true we always hope for the best.
We always hope for the best. Yet our thoughts always migrate to thinking the worst. In times of worry, our heart cries out. Our eyes become impatient, wanting to quickly see the next act in our small play. Our energy weakens, as we become more focused on our worries.
Nothing happens when we worry —except worrying!
What gets lost, in this quicksand of life, is the fact that our worrying originates simply from the uncertainty of the outcome. Why we don’t think of this first, as we continue on life’s journey, becomes problematic for us.
Why do we worry?
It’s a unique situation where the heart overtakes our logic. All of the complicated feelings and emotions within us are so powerful (and want to be so protective). Love. Duty. Responsibility. Roles. Parent. Child. Friend. Soul Mate. Health. This list is endless. Our fragile ego adds fuel to this fire by wanting to be always right. Our innate desire to help, wants us to always improve the situation. And, of course, we want to be safe and to avoid all conflict.
This dance of passion within us — wants out! It becomes so tied up within us, waiting for an outcome to reveal itself, that it “pushes through” in the form of worry.
Prayer and faith are such powerful allies at these times, for only they can connect with our inner heart and the complicated passion for life each one of us possesses.
You see, worrying makes us human.
This gift of humanity can never be taken away from us.
We need to remind ourselves the outcome will always be revealed to us in our tomorrows. Today, we can only focus more on what we can control here and now. We must wait patiently for our tomorrow to reveal its outcome. There is no other way. Only then, can we accept or readjust or simply move on if the outcome isn’t to our liking.
God grants us many days, not simply one.
Enjoy today for what it is, for who we are, and what we can do. Listen attentively, advise wisely, and offer help in a way only you can. Be present when needed and be close to the worries of another person when asked. And patiently wait with others for an outcome to be revealed.
[It’s helpful to stay close to our own worries so that we can better understand our fears and how we react to them. To give us the opportunity to sort through what we can’t control and what to “let go”.]We must have faith, pray often, and accept the dawn of the next day as both a gift and a reminder of the need to be patient. Sometimes outcomes reveal themselves quickly. Other times they are slow to be seen. But be certain, many will appear without our intervention whether we like it or not.