Getting this one in under the radar, it seems, but hopefully it will provide you with some musings tomorrow!
I am now finally getting over my cold and, in the days that preceded the oasis of wellness that I am now experiencing, I had a lot of time to think, sulk, and most of all worry.
Worry is something that infiltrates my life periodically. When deadlines are involved or I have shown up late to something or when I just plumb forgot - those are the moments when I worry. These worries get turned into questions of hindsight: What could I have done to get here faster? Why didn't I look up when the store closed? Why didn't I take better care of myself earlier? And soon that worry balls up together, merging with all the other minor worries that have been in the back of my mind from both the future and the past, and becomes a hysterical upset. The worry itself brings my life to a screeching halt.
Now, it's not to say that we as people shouldn't plan well and take care of ourselves early on and whatnot, but we also need to realize that we are not automatons. We are not going to do the exactly perfect thing at the exact right time for ourselves, then wash and repeat. Instead we are going to make mistakes, eat poorly, and feel embarrassed sometimes. And that's ok.
It really is ok.
So my prompt of the week, both to myself and to everyone out there who is reading, is to spend a week without worry. Think that's a monumental task? Then go a day, or perhaps just a few hours.
Breathe deeply when you're worried, put things in perspective and think about whether this will matter ten years out, laugh at yourself for all the embarrassing times that come up rather than admonishing yourself again and again. And, most importantly, do not let it ball up into a knot of worry so tight that you just can't get out. Good luck.
Read some more posts about lessons I've learned.
