All of us have experienced this crippling force—some more than others. Some, unfortunately, live in it.
Worry, like fear, is a mental plague that has survived the test of time. It has robbed people of their peace of mind, ransacked them of their energy, and made itself an unwanted squatter in the minds of many. But there is a panacea to improve such a state of mind: mastery of awareness.
But the first critical step to overcoming worry is understanding what behavior of awareness in the mind causes us to experience it. Understanding our mind is critical to better managing it. When we understand how the mind works, we can better navigate it. It’s hard to direct something we don’t understand. That is why the first few chapters of my book, The Power of Unwavering Focus, are dedicated to understanding how the mind works.
Worry is awareness going into the future, creating a problem in our mind that has not happened, then returning to the present and becoming distressed about it. The act of worry is awareness repeatedly visiting that exact problem in the mind without doing anything to resolve it—just marinating in it.
When a person begins to control where awareness goes in their mind, they can start the process of overcoming worry. With an understanding, and eventually the realization, of the behavior of awareness that results in worry, it becomes much easier to prevent ourselves from experiencing it.
If every time you ate cheese you did not feel good, then you know what you need to do to avoid feeling bad: don’t eat cheese! If every time you allow awareness to go into the future, create a situation that has not happened, then return to the present, mull over that problem, and begin to worry, then you know what you need to do to prevent this from happening: get a vice-like grip on your awareness.
Imagine a life where worry no longer has a grip on you. Not a life without challenges, but one where you understand what triggers worry and, more importantly, how to stop it before it takes hold.
It’s not as difficult as you might think. You only have to commit to starting the journey.
