Tag Archives: worry

Small thing big shadow

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“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.”

-Swedish Proverb

Photo from Flickr by Stuart Anthony

Photo from Flickr by Stuart Anthony

When was the last time you examined your shadow just after dawn or just before dusk? You know – the times of day with the sun just peeks over the horizon, on either side of the day. It is at these times that the longest shadows are cast.

Worry, fear, dread, or that forbidding feeling we sometimes experience is just like these shadows in that they make small issues so much larger and ominous than they actually are.

EXERCISE:

Imagine a world where it is always high noon – where the dark shadow of worry is either very small, or nonexistent.

How can you exercise your optimistic attitude, enthusiasm, and positive perspective so that you can carry around your own sunshine, making your life and the life of others brighter?

Worry is like a rocking chair

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“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”

—Erma Bombeck, humorist and author

Photo from Flickr by Jeff Hand

Photo from Flickr by Jeff Hand

Many people are familiar with the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle.

An example of this rule is that 80 percent of our results comes from only 20 percent of our efforts.

On the other hand, 80 percent of our time and efforts account for only a small portion – 20 percent – of our results.

Bombeck would probably include worry as a significant part of this non-productive yet time-consuming aspect of our days.

EXERCISE:

Create a list of your professional and personal worries, then apply this two-step process:

  1. Look at each worry through an objective lens, not only from a negative or emotional perspective.
  2. Consider these issues from an optimistic perspective and explore some new or different approaches to stop rocking and start improving your situation.

Also consider Mark Twain’s statement: “I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.”   Read more about it here.

Unfounded Worry

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“I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.”

– Mark Twain, author and humorist

marktwain_cc_img_0

Do you know someone who worries a lot? These individuals are often people who experience considerable fear throughout their life. Perhaps you are one of them.

Twain points to the fact that many of these fears and worries are unfounded – and yet they can limit our enjoyment of life.

Exercise:

When you or someone you know is experiencing worry or fear, ask these questions:

1. What is the likelihood that this thing I’m afraid of will actually happen?
2. What if I am successful?
3. Who can help me resolve this issue?
4. What one step can I take to improve the situation?
5. What, realistically and objectively, is the worst that could happen?
6. How would I cope with it if it did happen?
7. What can I do to minimize the danger of …?

Lastly, try breathing deeply. This technique has a magical way of lightening the load of worry.