For several weeks now, my editor has been asking me to write on the topic of “worry.”
“Everyone is always worrying so much, and you could help so many people deal with their constant worrying,” she said. “People worry about their children, their jobs, their health, their finances; they worry about what other people think… the worrying people do is ongoing.” I would think about the topic, but nothing would come up. I had a difficult time grasping “worry.” Every week she would ask me, and every week I would say I would think about what to write. So this morning, as I was doing my meditation, I went inside to find something to write about the topic of “worry.”
In my understanding, there is only one negative emotion, and that is fear; worry, anger, and guilt are derived from fear. Just like we pick up emotions, negative or positive, this process is basically the same. Some people may worry about what others think or how others feel about them. Others may worry they are going to make a mistake, fail an exam, or not get the job they’ve applied for.
This very morning, I had a meeting with a man and he was all stressed out about making a business decision. He was worried about how people would judge him if he made a certain choice. We must understand that a lot of the worry we experience is caused by the values and beliefs that are passed down by our family, friends, society, school, or work. This man and I both came from a background that taught us to be careful of what you do because of what our neighbors, family, or friends might say or think about our actions.
As we decide to accept this way of living, this decision turns into a belief. The moment this becomes a belief, people become prisoners in their own mind. There are more people living in the prison of their own mind than there are people in actual federal prison. This prevents them from making decisions to do things that would allow them to expand, grow, and evolve because they are afraid of what other people think or say. This action does not allow people to live the life that they dream about living. In turn, they become upset and angry because they cannot do the things that will make them happy and content in their own lives.
When we are born, we are given the freedom to think, create, grow and evolve without limits, but instead, most people do the opposite due to their belief systems. As explained, worry is a part of fear. When we choose to worry, it comes from our mental process. Remember, that every situation always has two sides: a positive and a negative. What determines the outcome is which side you are focused on, the good or the bad.
Let’s presuppose, that when you were growing up, you were taught that whenever you had to do something, or whenever you had to make a decision, you were to only listen to your gut feeling, your intuitive feeling, or sixth sense. If you used this as the deciding factor, instead of what other people would think, you would not only would be free from the mental prison, but you would do things that would allow you to grow, evolve, and be happy and peaceful in your own life.
The most unfortunate thing is that we are taught to focus on the outside world instead of our inner world. This causes us to be incongruent, resulting in worry. We become harmonious only when we begin to re-establish communication with our own inner world, which consists of our conscious, our unconscious, and our higher self. Having this communication allows us to make changes that are best for us.
Worry comes when we are not focusing on possibilities, but instead focusing on what could go wrong. The simplest way to create worry is how we perceive things. Like the old saying: “Is the glass half-full or half-empty?” – it depends whether you look for possibility or the lack of possibility in your life.
After a session, a client said to me, “Flavio, you must see the glass as always half-full,” and I responded, “My glass is always full to the top.” What fills my glass are all the blessing I receive every day, as well as being grateful for everything that I am surrounded with. Turn your focus on the blessings, and your glass too will always be full, and your worries will be gone.
If you are constantly worrying and want it to stop… please contact Flavio Iammarino to find out how his services can assist you.
For more information visit http://www.askflavio.ca