What? Me Worry?

“Just because what’s so is so, it’s also ‘So What?’” Werner Erhard, EST

“Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” -Proverb

I get that worrying is a waste of time and emotional energy. I totally get it. Of course, getting it doesn’t stop me from worrying. Worrying comes in waves. There are times when it simply isn’t a party of my life. There are other times when it feels overwhelming. This past week was one of the overwhelming waves. A minor tsunami of emotion. It’s passing.

There have been times in my life where worry was my default setting. Mostly worries about money (isn’t that the usual one for people?) although other life circumstances may have also checked in. And, there have been times where worry was completely absent. My monastic period was pretty worry free. I try to follow my own advice, “Let whatever happens be OK…” and don’t stress stuff I have no control over. The challenge comes from trying to figure out what is in my control, or isn’t…sometimes It’s just not that clear.

I think there’s a popular philosophy that by worrying you’re at least doing something. Even if it’s not something effective. Or helpful. Or healthy. Still, I find myself falling into worry fairly easy. It takes conscious intention to move away.

If you think back on the many things in our life we’ve worried about, you’ll probably recognize as I do, that we not only survived those situations, but we also grew and benefited in the aftermath. That has always been my experience. Life stuff came and went – and I become better for it. Amazing how that works.

That’s the funny thing about the “worst that can possibly happen.” If we believe in ourselves, we can always make the best of it. That sounds very cliché but stll happens to be true. Hasn’t that really been your experience?

Whatever happens tomorrow I believe we can handle it, but we can’t possibly handle it before it happens. That really connects with our need to be in control and sometimes all we can control is our response to the now. The future isn’t controllable – no matter how hard we try or wish it to be so. All we can do now is see and work with what is actually in front of us.

Today, if I start to feel overwhelmed by the things I feel I can’t control, I will remind myself to surrender to the moment. Then ask: How can I make the most of this moment instead of worrying about the one that’s coming?