Don’t worry, be happy! Who doesn’t know this song? It makes us feel good when we hear it and agree hall heartedly with the lyrics as we sing along. Our worries fade for the few minutes the song lasts, and sadly, come back fresh to us as the song winds up. One of the things that separate adults from children is that, adults worry a great deal. We worry about everything and anything. From money to health, social relationships, fame, success, our looks, etc.
The thing about worrying is it never ends. Just when we thought we got it all, we realize something else is missing. We forget about what we finally got after worrying for a long period and start chasing the next thing to worry about. I wonder if it is an addiction. I wonder if there are people out there who do not worry about anything. I must admit though the degree of peoples’ worry can differ. While some of us are serial worriers, the rest might be a little calmer inside, although we have our own little things to worry about.
Have you ever wondered why people worry so much? Is worrying about something necessary to progress in life, to succeed in life? Would it restrict our efforts at achieving success if we worried less about becoming successful? Is worrying a drive for success? I don’t know, but what I know is that worrying is a toxic state of emotion that spoils your day, makes us unhappy and prevents us from enjoying today.
People worry about the future, instead of the present or the past. People worry about what would happen tomorrow. Why is that? Well, I believe it is because tomorrow holds the unknown. Not knowing what the future holds leaves people to imagine all sorts of scenarios, which may or may not happen. The way I see it, people worry about things they can and cannot change. If you really think about it, it does not make sense to worry in either of the cases.
In the first case, if you know you cannot change something, what is the need of worrying? In the second case, if you know you can change something, why would you worry about it instead of getting your act together and try to change it?
Worrying about something that you know you can change and worrying about something that you know you will not be able to change the outcome does not make sense. The key to not worrying therefore depends on knowing whether we can change something or not.
For me, if I know for sure that I can effect change why should I worry? So how can this be achieved? The way I see it, unless we try, we will never know whether we can change an outcome. Personally, I list down exhaustively all the things that I can possibly do, the things that are within my power to change, and things that are worrying me so much. Afterwards, I try all options tirelessly.
There are two results – either I succeed in changing what worried me or I do not. If I succeed, then that’s good. But if I do not succeed, that’s also good because now I know for sure that I cannot change the thing that worried me no matter what I do. That is where I get my peace of mind. I raise my white flag, and sit in peace because now I know I cannot blame myself for not effecting change and do not have any regrets because I have tried everything in my power.
Instead I embrace it, accept to live with it, and this time, without worrying about trying to change it! So if you know for sure that you can change something or know for sure that you cannot change something, don’t worry, be happy about it!
