Take Control of Your Worries
By Brenda Mussoko
'I have had a lot of worries in life, most of those which never happened'; one of Mark Twain's quotes that makes a lot of sense. Worry is psychological; a state that dysfunctions a clear focus as a result of a horrific picture painted in one's mind, of what is going to happen. It is a deceptive impression. People worry over so many things that most of the time they are actually able to control. I have spent a good portion of my life worrying about a number of things. One major worry was what my future would look like. I would look at where I was in life in terms of development and growth, then weigh in on my age and start wishing I had accomplished this and that, then before long zone out to a world of panic about my future. I would then tell myself I wasn't good enough to achieve anything and almost started believing this voice in my head. Just my voice.
Over the years, I have learned to control what I feed myself psychologically especially when I start to worry about things that are actually robbing my potential for growth. It all starts in the mind. Worry disables one's ability to think straight and to work on what is at hand. The main component that leads to worry is negativity. Do these phrases sound familiar? 'I can't do it; I'm not meant for it; that is not my league; I give up; I'm not good enough.. and so on. These invalidating statements disarm potential and weaken one's vitality required for sustained physical and mental action.
How does one overcome this mental state? Truth is from time to time, we all end up worrying about something at one point. Sometimes the worry could be genuine; more of a concern over an actual situation and reality haunting your capacity to make a sound decision. But genuine or not, no situation is out of control and there's always a way out which is better to seek than to worry.
Seek Advice
Seeking advise from a trustworthy person would reset the mind to objectivity and ensure the matter at hand is the primary focus than spending time engulfed in anxiety. Brainstorming on a solution with the second party triggers a feeling of expectation that a resolution is on the way. This then reduces the level of anxiety as by now the focus and effort will be channeled towards finding a solution.
Reading Biographies/books
We all have our role models if not people we actually look up to. Most of these models are widely recognized in a given society and command a degree of public and media attention. As influential as they are, these models are also human beings who have a story behind their successes including the various hurdles they have had to go through before finding themselves where they are. Reading such biographies boosts motivation and the drive to actualize whatever dreams one has over that particular situation. Books also help to generate ideas and sharpen the mind to think ahead and after a while, one masters the problem-solving skill which is important to have for any life situation.
It is easier said than done, but worrying about what you have full control over (the mind) is pointless. Take control of your worries and build yourself an image of a victorious human being that you are. Then make it happen.