What are you most worried about for the future?
For many of us, worries occupy our time and mind. If we aren’t careful, they can even occupy our life. This isn’t exactly the healthiest way to go about living. So, does worrying actually serve a purpose?
Oddly enough, it does! Worry is a natural part of our human condition. It signals us to potential fears and dangers. This allows us the opportunity to pause and take more conscious evaluation of our current situation. From here, we are able to make intentional choices and decisions to hopefully ward off and derail the very thing that signaled us to worry. For instance, say you have a concern about your heart health, and the nagging worry is the risk you carry because of genetics and presently being overweight. Well, when we use the worry effectively, we can evaluate that risk and make decisions to neglect, address, or stay indifferent to the risk in your control…which is weight. In this way, worry can become a motivator to create positive and lasting change that enhances and encourages life.
Unfortunately, many of us hold onto worry and try to ignore the situation it is asking us to evaluate. A lot of times, fears are wrapped around the worries that we carry. Although this is common, it isn’t healthy. Fear is another effective emotion, but only when it is used to signal a true and present danger. Many of us hold fears that are launched off of all the ‘what if’s.’ Although it is good to look before you jump, it can be immobilizing to stop or ignore forward movement because of worry and fear.
Worry is something we will never be able to avoid. The key comes in using worry as the tool it is intended to be. From here, we can take purposeful action and move in the direction of our dreams!