My dad was a worrywart. The poor guy fretted about everything, to the point that he was hospitalized several times for anxiety. In the practice of psychiatry, anxiety is defined as: “A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.” See what I underlined: ANTICIPATION. What gets us most is the fear about what might happen. This “awfulizing” or worst-case scenario thinking kills our joy. If we are so worried about what could happen tomorrow… or the next day… or the day after that, we can’t enjoy today. Many of us are crippled by anxiety and you know what? We freak out about things about which we can do nothing. Zip. Nada. Diddly squat. From personal experience, I can tell you that this tendency robs us of our joy. I’m no expert, but this is no way to live. So, I vow to do something about it, by letting go and letting God to the best of my ability. Don’t worry, be happy is my new motto!
