Don't Worry Be Happy!
A thought struck me as I was driving in a blizzard this morning: "Why do most people live their lives in constant fear, or its low-voltage cousin, worry?"
Granted, there is plenty to be worried about like the recession going double-dip, global warming, Iran glowing nuclear, H1N1, whether or not the Balloon Boy will get his own reality TV show, etc. Yet, does it really do us any good to "worry" over anything?
Worry, by definition, is just fear of something yet to be realized. It is always future-focused, which in its own insidious way robs us of truly experiencing "Now". Think about this for a moment, if you could block out all thoughts of "what might happen", and live completely in the now, all worry would disappear. Worry gets its strength from the mistaken belief that we will not be able to handle or cope with something down the road.
Have you ever not handled something? If you are still living and breathing, then you have never failed in that endeavor. It's not about whether you can control the future; it's all about how you respond to it...
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
John Wooden
Worry is a parasite that feeds on fear of the future. There are two powerful ways to be free of it forever: a) be fully present in the moment, and b) know you can handle anything that comes your way. Both of these take a bit of practice, and once you get the hang of it you'll be able to exchange "be worried" with "be happy." 