I want to help you not just survive, but THRIVE in these crazy times. Yes, it is an uncertain time and there are things that we won’t be able to control – but it doesn’t have to be an obstacle, it can be an opportunity.
For 7 weeks I am going to send you a daily dose of inspiration, because if we set our compass right, we can sail through this!
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself” – The Alchemist
Tip # 11: Don’t worry. Worry is paying interest on a loan you don’t have yet.
Saying not to worry, might seem at first like telling a stressed person to calm down (which has never, in the history of calming down, helped a someone to actually calm down). But bear with me. You do have a choice about being worried or not. Worry is a sign that the story we are telling ourselves right now has a bad ending. With practice we can become adept at choosing a better story.
We have story making brains, we are always making up a story about the meaning and trajectory of things. When we worry about a financial problem we might be imagining a story where we lose our homes down the line – this is a story that makes us feel powerless. We could instead make a story, just as legitimate, that we are resourceful and resilient and that if a problem arrives we will find a solution – this is a story that makes us feel powerful. The second story will save us from spiralling down, wasting energy and making reactive decisions.
When you find yourself worried, try to take out the story for a moment and see what the seed of the worry is. Sometimes it is helpful to listen to the worry and do something now to work on addressing the potential problem. In my experience it is never helpful to wallow in the emotion of it though.
We have a confirmation bias in our thinking that means we will always look for evidence that confirms the story we are telling ourselves (and dismiss things that don’t). This means that if our story is about opportunity and hope when we think to the future, then we will be primed to see the open doors and willing to get up if we fall down.
Recommended Reading
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Santiago, a young shepherd living in the hills of Andalucia, feels that there is more to life than his humble home and his flock. One day he finds the courage to follow his dreams into distant lands, each step galvanised by the knowledge that he is following the right path: his own. The people he meets along the way, the things he sees and the wisdom he learns are life-changing.
