The truth is we all worry. Worrying is a just a natural result of how the logical left-brain operates. Logic is the part of us which has the wonderful ability to identify potential problems and challenges. It can easily point out what is incorrect, what is awry, or all the things that might go badly. Logic thinks in terms of good and bad, right and wrong, yes or no. It will generate a “worst case fantasy” picturing the worst that might happen. As it imagines these negative situations, you begin to experience how uncomfortable those undesirable realities would feel in your body.
This ability of logic to identify potential negative outcomes has great strength. You immediately grasp what you do not want to feel or to experience – before it ever happens! You have now seen the resulting outcome of one course of thinking and acting.
While logic has a wonderful ability to identify problems and project these negative outcomes into your future, worrying is totally useless as a way to solve whatever the problem is. If you constantly remain in the realm of logic and worry, you will begin to feel overwhelmed, tired, and even depressed. Logic can only see the problem from down in the trenches. It has no larger perspective, no vision, and no spirit. Logic is unable to generate a creative, more desirable outcome.
To move beyond worrying requires the activation of self-love and the involvement of your creative right-brain. When you love yourself, you recognize that your logical brain has performed a great service. You have now seen the life you do not want to live and the experiences you do not want to feel. With self-love, you take responsibility for accepting the wisdom offered by your problem identifying left-brain and now moving into the larger perspectives of your creative brain. Below are the necessary steps to utilize the value of worry and create a happier, more empowered life:
1. Do not try to stop worrying. Trying to suppress thoughts only aggravates the situation. If you try to suppress the thought hard enough, the thought can become an obsession. You do not have to figure out any detailed process of how to stop your logical brain from worrying. You do not need to override worry thoughts with mind control actions or positive affirmations. However, there are steps you can take to acknowledge your worry, to see the benefits of knowing the worst case scenario, and then to go beyond. Worrying is perhaps the first important self-loving step to designing a new life potential!
2. Acknowledge the things you are worrying about. Speak your worries out loud or make a list of all the things you are worrying about. Your logical brain is an excellent problem identifier. Meaning it can point out potential challenges and obstacles. However, your logical brain, despite its persistent efforts, is incapable of developing creative solutions to your problems. Allow the logical mind to do what it does best, which is of course, to identify problems.
3. You are not helpless. It can be quite annoying when someone tells you to just stop worrying. Most worriers believe that they either must worry or that they cannot stop themselves. In truth, worrying is a habit and becomes a form of self-sabotage. When you recognize the worth of worrying you can utilize this as a tool to gain empowerment and joy. However, it is not the only tool available to you. Find your heart and your imagination. It is tough to move beyond this action of excessive worry, but you can do it.
4. Breathe. One way to alleviate excessive worrying is to learn how to breath deeply and slowly – the opposite of how we breath when we worry and stress. Deep breathing is one of the simplest yet most effective stress management techniques. It can calm your nerves, relieve tension, and restore your inner balance. Deep breathing allows you to clear your head and create a calm, relaxed state. You are now more able to access your creative intelligence.
5. Activate your right-brain creative genius. Why should your logical side take the entire spotlight? How about equal opportunity for your creative imagination? Move beyond thinking of problems as difficult end points. Think of them as opportunities to empower yourself by imagining a better future and new possibilities. Ask your creative brain to envision a more desirable outcome. Focus on what matters most.
6. Take action. Once you have imagined a more desirable outcome, notice what action step you could take that would bring you back into a place of feeling hopeful and capable. Taking action shifts your focus away from feeling helpless and overwhelmed toward feeling empowered and in control of your life. In addition, taking inspired action reminds yourself that you are capable of handling life and the problems that arise. You can develop a sense of trust in yourself to envision a desirable future and then take action to make your success happen.
Worry can serve an important function in your life, once you know how to work with it. When worry shows itself and its dark fantasies, follow the steps above and access your creative imagination. Use those stressful thoughts and ask your creative side, what do I want and how can I make this happen?
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