Some things we can control, and some we cannot. The key to a positive attitude in life is to know the difference.
Did you know that 92% of the things people worry about are beyond their control.
The things that you worry about that you can control like your business, deadlines, or your budget you can take steps to make the changes necessary to get better results. Same goes with your home and your health, there are always things you can do for a better way of life.
Things we worry about that are beyond our control like the weather, government, world issues, to name a few, are things that we generally cannot control. Worrying about these types of things just causes stress that can effect your overall attitude an even health.
Here is an easy way to help you stop worrying:
Start by making a list of the things you worry about. Then divide your list in two categories:
Concerns you can do something about
Concerns beyond your control
Next to the items you can do something about include action steps to resolve them quickly. Then make a commitment to attack everything on your list that is within your control. Then be intentional about not worrying about them any longer.
Do this every time you feel anxious about something or you have a long list of things that you are worried about. The more you do this exercise the easier it will become to not worry about those things you can't control and take action on the the things you can.
What do you worry about they is beyond your control?
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Great reminder. And I like your exercise. Your post makes me think of the Serenity Prayer.
ReplyDeleteOh man, is it really 92%? That's nuts! And yet, I'm guilty of worrying about everything (partially because of an anxiety disorder) but I'm trying to cut back. Haha. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI stopped worrying about things beyond my control about 6 yrs ago when my husband left me. I realized that no matter how much I wanted to work on my marriage and how much I loved him, I couldn't change his mind or his feelings about things. It's called 'useless anxiety' if you can't do anything about the problem. Living in the future and worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet is a pretty common occurrence too. I was recently told that 'to live in the future is to live in a graceless moment.' Meaning that IF this bad thing happens, we will be given the courage and grace to handle it. I've always found this to be true in my personal life so this is how I live nowadays. :)
ReplyDeleteMy biggest worries are financial and every time my fiance' gets a text from his youngest son I know it's gonna end up costing us money which then screws up my budget and plans to try and make a dent in our credit card debt which never seems to happen. My guy is adamant about paying them down and asks me why they aren't going down and I'm like, 'uh your truck needs $5,000 in repairs every few months and your son is extremely needy.'
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. Being only human we do worry about things that we have no control over, such as : " Gee I hope it doesn't rain this weekend because we're having an outdoor garden wedding.: or : " I hope our flight to Seattle isn't cancelled or delayed because we HAVE to get there in time for our High School Class Reunion."
ReplyDeleteYes there is little we can do about the weather or our airline flight but still we will worry about it until the event is over and done. However some of us can be bigger worry warts than others. When worrying becomes a compulsion then something needs to be done about it.
My mother was a compulsive worrier, we always thought that worrying was one of her greatest pleasures in life and if she didn't have something to worry about, she would worry that she didn't have something to worry about.
This is so true! I'm worrying about the impending rain forecasted for Friday an Saturday when I plan on moving most of my stuff. There is nothing I can do. Being such a worry wart I try to tackle those situations I have control over as quickly as possible. Otherwise I go a little cookoo!
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