Source: prettyishkindofwilderness.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest
I was talking with my boyfriend on Sunday, complaining about constantly being worried. He looked at me and said, “Then stop worrying.” I shook my head and laughed.
“I can’t just stop. I’ve been worrying my whole life!”
“Yes, you can. Just don’t worry.”
Our conversation shifted to a new topic, but I kept thinking about what he said. For some people, I think it is that simple. Just stop worrying. Just don’t do it. Like the anti-drug campaign says, just say no.
For me, it isn’t quite that easy. There are some things that I can make myself stop worrying about. When I start to worry I left my straightener on, I make myself go through everything I did before leaving the house. Most of the time, I remember turning it off and I can relax. Other times I just have to convince myself that I did, because usually it isn’t possible for me to go back and check.
But there are some things I can’t just stop worrying about. These are the things I’m going to be focusing on this month. Things like money and budgets, relationships and family, body image and people pleasing, and the underprivileged and hurting. Some of these are legitimate concerns, and some of these I can do something about. Others are a complete waste of time and energy because they don’t matter or don’t have a solution.
Even if the worries are legitimate, worrying doesn’t solve anything. It stresses me out, wears me down, and keeps me from being fully engaged at times. So I’m going to try to just stop worrying when I can…and hopefully by the end of this month, that will be more often than not.
