Worry is like a sneaky burglar. It stealthily moves through the deepest and darkest corners of our mind and steals the joy and optimism from our tomorrow long before we even get there.
~ When Fear Speaks…Listen, pg. 45
Warning! Answering the following question may reveal your age, but do you remember the catchphrase Mad Magazine’s icon, Alfred E. Newman, had posted under his cartoon image on the cover? “What, Me Worry” was his motto. There he was, with a simpleton’s “Howdy Doody” wooden smile inviting us all to consider the fruitlessness of worrying about, well, anything. I must confess, as an eight-year-old kid reading Mad Magazine, I never understood Alfred’s motto.
I was so deeply entrenched in worry that I didn’t even recognize it as a choice. But then I grew up and got it: Worry had already insidiously seeped between the cracks and crevices of my mind, but as a conscious, mature, self-aware adult I learned I could opt out of the worry habit at anytime. Alfred E. Newman was a genius! His motto was an admonishment warning us to be mindful of the worry habit because it’s seductive; it’s so addictive everybody’s doing it! I don’t know about you, but sometimes life serves me up a big steaming heaping-helping of “things” that tempt me to enter through the portal of tomorrow where worry lingers—where I have not even a modicum of control.
While Worry Can Become An Addiction There’s a Cure!
Managing the habit of worry is essential for leading a balanced and peaceful life. Following are a few practices we can use to transcend the worry habit:
- As featured in my latest book, When Fear Speaks…Listen, one effective way to handle worry is by adopting the mindfulness practice of living in “day-tight compartments”—focusing on the present without letting the uncertainties of tomorrow or yesterday seep in. I learned this concept from my mother: Now, I KNOW she never read Mad Magazine, but her philosophy aligned seamlessly with Alfred E. Newman’s: Mom would say, “Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow, son.”
- Awareness matters because it leads to choice. A helpful metaphor used to illustrate this idea is the watchmen in ancient cities staying vigilant from high towers to ensure the wellbeing of citizens. Similarly, by elevating our awareness to the present moment and observing our worries, we can see them as they approach the gates of our mind and prevent them from overwhelming us. With awareness, we can discern the difference between the worries we have the power to mitigate, challenge and change—and those we don’
POINT: If we can change that which we are worried about, then it is ours to do. If we can’t change it, then we can move into a mindful acceptance of “what is” by seeing it through the lens of a new perception. As an example, it’s one thing to receive a medical prognosis (possibility) from our doctor and it’s quite another to obsess over it and allow it to suck us out of the present moment, which is all any of us possess. The same could be said about the pending Presidential elections; let us focus on that which we can do something about and then do it. Rather than worry, choose to vote and get involved, but don’t get sucked into the vortex of mindless worry. Dragging our worries out of the shadows of tomorrow and exposing them to the light of the present moment diminishes their power over us.
- Another approach involves faith in a Power greater than oneself and staying grounded in the present moment, which is the only space in time It exists. Reframing our worries by infusing the awareness of our oneness with that Power helps to reduce the mental burden. Emphasizing positive affirmations like “Today, I make a conscious decision to live in oneness with my Creator can reinforce this mindset.
- Practical tools can also help manage worry. For example, the simple practice of using a rubber band on our wrist to snap whenever we catch ourselves engaging in negative self-talk, such as saying “I can’” This simple action brings our awareness back to more empowering choices, enabling us to step into our authentic power.
THE TAKE AWAY: Managing the worry habit involves a combination of mindfulness, staying present, positive perspectives, and sometimes, small practical tools to reinforce our commitment to a worry-free life. But, somehow, I suspect Alfred E. Newman already knew that. Try making Alfred’s motto “What, me worry?” your mantra for a day or two. It may put a smile on your face that will have other people wondering just what you know that they don’t.
Peace, Dennis Merritt Jones
