Worry Much???

What to do? What to do?  Did I say that right? What does he/she think of me? What if I don't get the job?  We all do a whole lotta worry.  What does it get us? Wrinkles, ulcers, stress, and missed opportunities. All of our worry can be boiled down into two categories --- Constructive Worry and Destructive Worry.

Constructive worry is worry about those things over which you have control. Do you want to do your best on your presentation tomorrow? Practice it tonight. Destructive worry is worry about those things over which you have no control. Is your picnic in the park going to be rained out tomorrow? You have no control over the weather (but you can make alternative plans just in case).

Generally, about 20% of our worry is constructive and 80% is destructive. Do what you can to address your constructive worry. For the destructive worry? With faith, you can give it to God. He's got the big picture. He'll take care of it.

When the "what ifs" get you, take a deep breath and turn the "what if" into an "I wonder." "What if" generates tightness, muscle constriction, high blood pressure. "I wonder" generates curiosity, muscle expansion, and calm assurance. Add a presuppositional phrase (or positive outcome) to your "I wonder" and your worry becomes a hopeful anticipation that can direct your energies. "What if I fail the math test tomorrow?" becomes, "I wonder how well I will do on the math test tomorrow."
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In Chapter Eight of my book, Teachable Moments: Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, I explain in detail how to focus on constructive worry and turn "what ifs" into "I wonders." So, don't worry so much.