Stop worrying

In our tension-filled lives where targets and deadlines have to be met, one tends to get worried. People who worry are in all categories and strata of society.

An affluent businessman may worry about his marketing transactions and about whether he can pay back the EMIs for his home loan in time. A housewife may worry whether her life insurance policy is adequate or over the rising prices of essential commodities.

Children should lead carefree lives without tension, but one finds that in our complex, modern lives, even they face worries. They may worry if they have enough attendance to sit for their examinations and they may worry if they can clear the CET with flying colours to enable them to get into professional courses.

Worrying has become the order of the day. What should one do to alleviate it? First, one must discern whether the worry is real or imaginary. In several instances, the worry may be just a figment of one’s imagination. One dark-complexioned girl spent all her time worrying that after studies there would be no boy willing to marry her. She should instead channelize her energies and mind to getting good marks in her studies in order to get into a good career where she could use her ‘brain power’ to, perhaps, attract a male colleague. Worrying wastes time and as the Bible says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27)

What are the tangible ways to arrest this problem? The basic tool one has is prayer. One should look at the bigger picture and fill one’s mind with positive thoughts. One should take a piece of paper and write down all one’s worries on one side and positive thoughts on the other. Every time the mind is clogged with worry, try and replace it with favourable and positive epithets.

One should try and get over worries by grit and determination. One should stop feeling sorry for one’s self, look straight at the mirror and say forcefully, “Julius Caesar and Napoleon, I can, I can, I can!” Get up, have a warm bath, do 15 minutes of vigourous exercises and 15 minutes of meditation, and look at one’s life positively.