Are you a worrier? Do things that bother you keep revisiting you? Does your brain seem to have a mind of its own?
In recent conversations with some of my clients, their worry was something they were aware of and yet each felt that it was not possible to control it. We have ALL been there. They felt like worry was taking over and at times running away with them, being a distraction during the day and keeping them awake at night. When worry seems relentless, they report feeling that they can’t control their minds and resign themselves to the idea that this sort of mind event is something they will have to live with forever. A despairing thought.
Not so. There is a reason so many people have turned to meditation or some sort of quieting practice. It helps with the worry. It helps you know your mind. And when you know your mind better, you can redirect it, gently. You can engage your heart, your physicality (breathing), and your spirit to help you work with your mind, your worry.
Worry serves a purpose – to a point. It does help you know what you are afraid of and is a big signal for what is important to you. Seeing the worry is the first step. (“I see you and hear your concern.”) Asking into the worry is a good second step ~ “what are you trying to tell me? what steps can I take now to alleviate this worry? what extra information might I need”?
And after you’ve done these two steps and followed up on the wisdom in your own answers, if the worry keeps on coming, it’s time to find all the positive forces you have inside of you and let ’em rip.
Instead of letting the worry take over, you can say to it something like what is below, which are thoughts I use when the worry bug invades.
* I see you, I hear you, and (guess what!!) right now I don’t need you. * Go away right now, I’ll give you 5 minutes later today to let me know what you are worried about. * I have plenty of resources within myself to see myself to the resolution of what is bothering me. * I have faith in what I can control. * I believe in what I am doing. * I trust that I am doing the right thing.
You can also say things to yourself like this, which are positive and affirming. * I’ve been through this sort of thing before – you’ll get through this one too. * Nothing is forever, and _________ is not “forever” either. * I am courageous, I have willpower, and I am determined to live fully. * I am learning to quiet my mind. And it is testing me. I am able to pass this test. * Moving past this worry is going to make me a stronger person. * What I want to create in my life is worthy of me stepping beyond my worry. * I believe in Goethe’s concept that when I declare something beautiful and powerful for myself in the world, the universe will support me.
All of this comes with practice. Yes. Daily.
Try meditating or getting quiet for as long per day as you can muster. You can start with five minutes! Then build. When you notice your worry, acknowledge it and then help it recede (at least temporarily) by using all of your positive forces – your thinking, your feeling, your heart energy, your trust in yourself, and any other positive force that works for you – to muster enough positive force to overcome the negative drag that worry brings. This is different from making it go away – if you try to do that, it will definitely not go away. Recognize it, thank it, and bathe it in positive thought.
This entry was posted in Well-Being on February 2, 2015.