There are so many things we like to worry about.
I can’t tell you how many times I have worried about a deadline, kids stuff, speaking in public, a test, or something I said or did.
I would waste so much time getting others’ opinions. I would question and rethink everything. I would sit in my worry and feel like there was no way out of it.
At the moment it sometimes feels wrong not to worry.
It almost feels as if we have no control over it and it’s absolutely necessary.
Hindsight is 20/20 though.
After the fact, we might realize that the worry actually isn’t necessary at all. And in my experience, this is always the case.
After I speak in public I almost always ask myself what the big deal was. “Why were you so worried about that?”
I like to decide that worry is never useful and just telling myself this at the moment is enough to stop my spin and save me so much time.
So, what about when hindsight is not exactly 20/20?
We can be oblivious to our worry and what it is creating for us.
Worry can become an emotion that we indulge in regularly as a way to cover up other emotions that we need to address.
Here are some great questions you can ask yourself to help you do a personal check-in for yourself:
- How often are you feeling worried?
- Could you go a day, week, or month without experiencing this feeling? Why or why not?
- Could you go a day, week, or month without indulging in it? Why or why not?
- Can you see a reason why you might want to keep indulging in this emotion?
- What might this cost you if you do?
You can certainly decide to choose to worry, but deciding that worry is never useful is also an option.
Choose the option that’s going to support the life you want to be living.
