"Worry" Should Be A Four Letter Word
This is a subject that I understand well. Not that I have mastered the art to control it or stay away from it, but I have learned to recognize it, back away as best I can when I see it, and move on. This simple five-letter word has control over the actions and lives of far too many. It is a verb (an action word), and the actions it unveils are that of stress, anxiety and unease. It is defined as, simply, something that allows one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.
Most of us understand the impact stress has in our lives and the health detriment it can tally. Yet, with this understanding, stress is fed far too much by this action called “Worry.” It is natural to worry, yet, how much are we consciously aware of our own control, or lack of control, over this destructive force?
I remember several areas of stress from my childhood that caused me to have much worry and less joy. The first was my struggle to read. As I have stated in a previous article, I was cross-eyed when I was very young and had corrective surgery that was a success only to a certain degree. My right eye no longer turns inward, but it sits slightly higher than the left eye. Because of this degree of difference my eyes do not track the written word as quickly as a perfectly aligned set of eyes. So, it was more difficult to stay on track as a young student and the worrying came more from the concern of others judging my abilities verses my intelligence.
I also worried greatly in my youth about being tortured in the dentist’s chair. The worry came from very real experiences of pain and agony from being worked on after the numbing agents had left my system. It took many years into my adulthood to gain courage enough to control anxiety at the simple thought of going to the dentist, let alone sitting in the chair to have my teeth cleaned or fixed.
The third and final experience I think about that has impacted me to understand and control worry happened in the eighth grade. I was the target of a bully and feared for my well being over a month’s period of time in which she threatened to, “Beat my face in.” Every day I feared running into her in places where I could not get away. I would arrive at school early and stay long after everyone had gone home, all to avoid a beating. Into the fifth week of my cowardly stand I came to the breaking point. I remember slowly walking to school and thinking, “How could I have allowed another to control my life…. My Happiness?” This angered me to the point of seeking her out immediately and demanding the fight. I must have had fire in my eyes, because this girl, being much stronger, taller and meaner than I, stepped back in fear and became the coward I had been. She left me alone from that point on, moving on to her next victim (because that is what bullies do).
I have learned that it takes courage to step back, and away from things that are harmful and prevent us from being happy. Worrying robs an individual of joy and control. Life will always throw curve balls at you that, if you don’t pay attention, can hit you smack between the eyes and knock you out cold. It is up to you to keep your eyes focused on the top of the mountain that is in your way, not the rubble at your feet. By lifting your feet a little higher you will be able to step over your problems and move on, instead of fearing what they can do to you, focusing on the “What Ifs”, and stumbling to the ground. Don’t avoid those troubles within your life, but learn to take control of the situation before the situation takes control of you.
In Other’s Words:
“In every life we have some trouble
But if you worry you make it double.
Don’t worry, be happy.”
~ Bobby McFerrin ~