Tag: worry
Feeling Good Tip of the Day ~ Learning to be Flexible About the Future
Worried About the Future?
So many of us struggle with the uncertainty of the future—we want to know when, where, and how things will happen. We make plans and want to see them through in the exact way we had envisioned them. But as much as we try, we can’t always plan for the exact timing of things or how they will unfold. Life happens, and there are external factors that make it impossible for us to have complete certainty about the future.
Whether it’s a global pandemic, losing a job, or a family member becoming sick, sometimes we must pivot and take things as they come. This isn’t to say that our goals and pursuits are not worth pursuing, but that we need to practice having more cognitive flexibility—a mental shift that encourages us to be more open to the fluidity of life and timing.While we might not know what the future holds, we do know that we are breathing and alive and that there are things we do have control over—things we can do to take care of ourselves and cope with uncertainty.
Think About It ~ Don’t Worry
Our personal river takes many a turn, in the end it ALWAYS ends up where it is supposed to end up. Not to worry.
Today’s Poem ~ To Hope
To Hope
John Keats
When by my solitary hearth I sit,
When no fair dreams before my ‘mind’s eye’ flit,
And the bare heath of life presents no bloom;
Sweet Hope, ethereal balm upon me shed,
And wave thy silver pinions o’er my head.
Whene’er I wander, at the fall of night,
Where woven boughs shut out the moon’s bright ray,
Should sad Despondency my musings fright,
And frown, to drive fair Cheerfulness away,
Peep with the moon-beams through the leafy roof,
And keep that fiend Despondence far aloof.
Should Disappointment, parent of Despair,
Strive for her son to seize my careless heart;
When, like a cloud, he sits upon the air,
Preparing on his spell-bound prey to dart:
Chase him away, sweet Hope, with visage bright,
And fright him as the morning frightens night!
Whene’er the fate of those I hold most dear
Tells to my fearful breast a tale of sorrow,
O bright-eyed Hope, my morbid fancy cheer;
Let me awhile thy sweetest comforts borrow:
Thy heaven-born radiance around me shed,
And wave thy silver pinions o’er my head!
Should e’er unhappy love my bosom pain,
From cruel parents, or relentless fair;
O let me think it is not quite in vain
To sigh out sonnets to the midnight air!
Sweet Hope, ethereal balm upon me shed,
And wave thy silver pinions o’er my head!
In the long vista of the years to roll,
Let me not see our country’s honour fade:
O let me see our land retain her soul,
Her pride, her freedom; and not freedom’s shade.
From thy bright eyes unusual brightness shed –
Beneath thy pinions canopy my head!
Let me not see the patriot’s high bequest,
Great Liberty! how great in plain attire!
With the base purple of a court oppress’d,
Bowing her head, and ready to expire:
But let me see thee stoop from heaven on wings
That fill the skies with silver glitterings!
And as, in sparkling majesty, a star
Gilds the bright summit of some gloomy cloud;
Brightening the half veil’d face of heaven afar:
So, when dark thoughts my boding spirit shroud,
Sweet Hope, celestial influence round me shed,
Waving thy silver pinions o’er my head.
Today’s Power Thought ~ Let the Worry Go
Why worry about the small stuff, there’s always going to be small stuff. Let it wash over like water from a spring mountain stream over rocks. Give your all to the important stuff.
A Better Life ~ Setting Worry Aside
I like to watch the birds and geckos in my yard. I don’t imagine they worry about goals, 401K retirement plans, inflation, or recessions. They go about their business working to get by to tomorrow. They seem to balance work and rest. No late nights or nights out with the boys or girls. They offer us several lessons: Strive for a balance between work and rest, work hard today and tomorrow will take care of itself.
Today’s Power Thought ~ Persevere Against All Odds
Don’t let worry sap you of your strength to face today’s challenges. Worry won’t influence the outcome. Steadfast perseverance will make all the difference.
Stress Hack: Quieting the Mind
Use cognitive distancing.
Our mind usually worries about things it is convinced are true but, most of the time, are actually not true. You can balance your mind’s tendency to predict the worst outcome by coming up with positive alternative scenarios. For instance, your spouse seems distant and is sending out a lot of emails. You decide he must be having an affair. An alternative scenario: He is working extra hard on a project. Analyze what’s most likely to happen. Most of the time, the worst-case scenario your brain comes up with is not the most likely one.
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Stress Hack: Humor Is Your Friend
Find an alternative, funny image to focus on every time you start worrying. In a classic study of thought suppression, participants who were instructed not to think about a white bear ironically couldn’t stop themselves from thinking about a white bear. But, when given an alternative image, they could focus on that instead. My favorite image is a bright pink elephant on roller skates. When you start to worry or ruminate, think of your elephant!
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Stress Hack: Pop the Bubbles
Picture your worries as bubbles popping in the air, or as leaves floating down a stream. This is a mindfulness technique that can give you some distance from your worries.
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