Curious about Worry: Does Worry Ever Attack You? What Do You Worry About, If You Do?

Definition of Worry: To harass or beset with importunity, or with care an anxiety; to vex; to annoy; to torment; to tease; to fret; to trouble; to plague. To feel or express undue care and anxiety; to manifest disquietude or pain; to be fretful.

“It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there's nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.” - Wayne Dyer, American psychologist

I pride myself on not being a worrier. When I am teaching my Yoga class, I always urge participants to clear their minds of worries, concerns, and unnecessary thoughts. And, I have always agreed with and practiced what Wayne Dyer states in the above quotation.

But, during this past week, I let worry attack me. On Wednesdays I teach three fitness classes in a row. After the first one, the young man who handles the desk at the club where I was teaching, came in and handed me a note to call the woman who is the regional director for the classes at the present club and another club where I teach. He said that there was some sort of problem with confusion at the other club. Not having time to call between classes – and they don’t allow us to make long distance calls and she is long distance – I waited until after the classes. Then, I got her voice mail.

Even though I know better, I had already started to worry through the second and third classes, and then the rest of the afternoon. Both Bo Bennett and John Lubbock express how I reacted. American businessman Bennett said, “While we are focusing on fear, worry, or hate, it is not possible for us to be experiencing happiness, enthusiasm or love.” And, British statesman Lubbock said, “A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.”

When I finally made contact with the director, I discovered that her call was over a minor glitch and we had a delightful conversation. All that worry for nothing! So, I am writing this blog to remind all of us – and me in particular – of the futility of worry.

Let’s share some great quotations:

• “It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we're alive - to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.” - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, American psychologist
• “I think the most important thing for an artist is to not worry about what anybody else thinks. You just have to do what comes from your heart and your being and put it out there-that's true in any of the arts.” - Rosanna Arquette, American actress
• “Worry is a useless mulling over of things we cannot change.” - Peace Pilgrim, American activist
• “If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.” - Dale Carnegie, American writer
• “Success is having to worry about every damn thing in the world, except money.” Johnny Cash, American musician
• “If you ever have the good fortune to create a great advertising campaign, you will soon see another agency steal it. This is irritating, but don't let it worry you; nobody has ever built a brand by imitating somebody else's advertising.” - David Ogilvy, American advertiser

And a couple more to take with you for your upcoming week:

“Do not worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older it will avoid you.” - Joey Adams, American comedian

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” - Leo Buscaglia, American author

I learned that we are all susceptible to worry – even when we know it doesn’t do us a bit of good. How does it affect you? And, how often? I would love to hear from you.