12 Mar Why We Worry

When Living in “What If” Robs You Of Now

Perhaps you’ve heard this story. A husband and wife live in a lovely home. Each night before bed, the wife makes the husband go through the house and check the windows and lock all the doors. The same drill happens every evening. One night there’s a noise downstairs. The husband investigates and finds someone robbing the house. He says to the thief, “Take anything you want, but could you please go upstairs and meet my wife? She’s been waiting for you for 35 years.”

Like a thief in the night, worry sneaks into your head and robs you of sleep, joy, peace, and present. We all worry to some degree but what do we do when our uneasiness escalates to full-blown anxiety? Why do we fret in the first place and what steps can we take to stop worrying and start living?

Worry is born from a lack of trust. We feel insecure and vulnerable. We feel we’re not on solid ground, so we worry. “What if I lose my job?” “What if I get sick?” “What if something happens to my kids?” These feelings can consume us, but this fear-based energy is a byproduct of an individual’s lack of awareness and understanding of their truest identity.

You are not your mind, your body, your possessions or your stories. You are limitless and eternal, an infinite being of love and peace. The very second an individual shifts out of identifying with the finite aspects of themselves, a transformation begins to occur.

In many cases, our worrying brings into being the very thing we’re worried about. Worry is an energy we keep putting out that can eventually come back to us as self-fulfilling prophecy. To duck this energetic boomerang, we must consciously disrupt the cycle of worry. If worry is born of self-doubt and lack of trust, we must find a deeper level of certainty and security within ourselves.

Begin by grounding yourself in the present moment. Feel your feet on the floor; listen to the noises in the room, sync up to the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. We do not know what the future will bring, but we can calm our fears by connecting to the here and now.

When the worry alarm goes off, stop, slow down and come back to present moment awareness. Be in that particular time and space with the understanding that you’re okay. 

Don’t let the limits of reality burglarize the intimate nature of your soul. Install your inner security system, remember your eternal self, and trust that life has your back.