Stop Worrying

I'm going to be a bit vulnerable here: I made this design for myself. That's why it's so straightforward.

We all have our moments when worry and anxiety seem to consume our thoughts. Okay maybe 'moments' is a bit light.

We all worry, a lot. In fact, as I've mentioned before, there was actually a study that showed that 80% of our thoughts are negative and 90% are repetitive, meaning we all basically worry about the same things, day after day.

As much as we try to avoid it, the truth is, it's a part of life. However, the key is learning how to manage those feelings and not allowing them to control us.

When I was high school, I interned at my cousin's insurance agency where, surprise, nobody calls to tell you how much they appreciate you.

Every day, on nearly every call, I'd get berated, screamed at generally made to feel like a horrible person. I was losing my mind, and I was only 17 - definitely not cut out for that level of constant stress in my life.

I remember asking my cousin how he dealt with it, and I'll never forget his answer. 

"I like to rate things on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being not a big deal and 10 being very important. I only worry about it if it's a 10 - the rest, I just do my best."

The truth is, we spend a lot of time worrying about things that aren't important - things that won't happen, or aren't that big of a deal. The problem is that many times, we get ourselves so worked up by thinking about it over and over again that it manifests into something more serious because we fed it with attention it didn't deserve. 

One of my favorite authors, Dale Carnegie, once said:

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."

It's a powerful reminder that excessive worry doesn't solve our problems. Instead, it steals our energy and leaves us feeling drained and powerless. But how do we stop worrying?

I'll answer that with one of my top 5 favorite quotes ever:

“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” - Marcus Aurelius 

Big Hugs!
Jason