Worry

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor (121 - 180 A.D.)

Worry. As men, it’s possible to experience it at many different levels as “heads of our household”. Some worry is practical as when you have a deadline to meet and you have some control over it, and others are hypothetical in that you can never be truly prepared for the countless combinations of outcomes. Worry is plainly a misuse of our productive and intricate imagination.

If you happen to be of the opinion that “worry is just a waste of time”, know that worry can also be healthy. It pushes us as men to find a solution to real and present problems which is what we are built for and are also expected by others to have all the answers for whatever life throws at us. But when you worry about things that are beyond your control it can severely impact your mental health and outlook towards life in general and can set a tone for friendship and family dynamics.

Worrying about tomorrow’s troubles never makes them lighter, they only become heavier with each passing moment, making our journey even more dark and unpleasant than it has to be. It is said worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. If the problem can be solved, why worry? If the problem cannot be solved, then worrying will do you no good.

Worry divides the mind and we know a divided mind fights against itself. One side leads you to believe you are doing something productive by trying to find solutions to a lot of “what if’s”. The other opposing thought is not so much thinking about responding to the future, but only how you can control it. The activity of worry keeps you immobilized and only pretends to be necessary. It is spiritual short-sightedness in a created and temporal world that will continue to move forward regardless of the outcome. It is a thief that robs you of today’s sunshine, of practical solutions, encouragement from friends and family, and ultimately from learning to be that kind of man you want next to you in a crisis.

It’s ok to worry if it fuels hard work and perseverance, or if it compels you to resolve yourself to faith in God’s providence. Worry represents an attempt to engage in mental problem-solving on an issue whose outcome may be an uncertain “roll of the dice” which can contain the possibility of one or more negative outcomes as well. We tend to think the worst so that we can prepare the best. Stop worrying about what can go wrong and get excited about what can go right! Allow an equal amount of positive outcomes as the other real possibility.

Worrying and irritation vanish into thin air when you look back at situations you were sure would be the gravestone of your worst fears fulfilled and then realize the good fortune and blessings that carried you through each and every one of them. Thankfulness and gratitude are the enemy of worry and discontent and just as no amount of guilt can change the past, no amount of worrying can change the future.

If you are wise and truthfully seeking answers, worry can elevate your spiritual experience with our Creator if you are already aware of the eternal soul that dwells within you. Know that worry in itself is not a substitute for prayer. Worry is a starting place, but not a staying place. Worry invites us into prayer. As a staying place, worry can be self-indulgent, paralyzing, draining, and controlling. When I take worry into prayer, it doesn't disappear, but it becomes surprisingly smaller and as I see the lesson in the results, my strength and conviction is even more invulnerable for the next crisis.