certainty is never part of anyone’s existence. we are surprised, pleasantly or otherwise, on a regular basis. i’ve found this to be especially true since moving to italy. i just never really know exactly what is going on. and as a result, anxiety tends to spike up at inopportune times.
last thursday and friday, i had three events on my schedule that were to be new experiences for me. and i spent the hours leading up to each one with eager anticipation, and a side of dread. i prepared as much as i could, mentally and physically, for all three. i was excited, yet nervous and scared at the same time. (honestly, i hadn’t even grasped the actual purpose of two of them. with almost everything in this new life of mine, i often have only a vague understanding of what’s going on. and then the language barrier interferes – primarily due to my incomplete knowledge of it – and i either have to fill in the blanks myself, or just wait to see what happens. it’s an interesting way to live.)
so the time inevitably led up to the first event . . . and guess what? due to unforeseen circumstances, i ended up having to postpone it. so it was on to the second . . . and it was cancelled. by the time the third event rolled around, i had this funny feeling . . . yep, sure enough, the scheduled plans fell through at the last minute!
and you know, it was kind of laughable. here i’d spent the better part of two days looking forward to these events, yes, but also senselessly worrying about them. for NO reason. because they NEVER HAPPENED. i suspect i’m not the only person who has done this. but WHY do we put ourselves through the agony?
two of the three events were rescheduled. one is still to come (this friday), but i’m feeling much less trepidation about it. and the other i’ve already successfully lived through! it had its uncomfortable moments (which is exactly what i’d feared), but overall it was okay. in fact, it was better than okay. i could only respond with smiles and nods, a lot of “si”s, and an occasional italian phrase. but it was productive and even (dare i say?) fun.
so i’m wondering . . . have YOU ever experienced a real-life version of this quote by mark twain? “i’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
more seriously, it’s worth noting this familiar bit of wisdom: “worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. it takes away today’s peace.” i repeat some form of this over and over to my clients, but i still fall prey to it myself at times.
“do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. keep in the sunlight.” (benjamin franklin)
one thing i try to do every single day, in part to relieve my (sometimes unnecessary) tension, is to practice the beautiful healing art of qi gong. i also love the beneficial effects of walking.
what is your go-to remedy to “keep in the sunlight?”
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THE ARRIVAL
TUSCANY, ITALY | MAY 20-25, 2018
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Yes, yes, and yes. And as I get older, I roll with the punches more because the plans may be your plan but not their’s or the universe. 🌸
exactly, linda. our own personal plan does not always equal THE plan. life is all about flexibility, and learning to stand again when we’re not feeling very flexible.
My goodness, if this wasn’t like looking into a mirror. Virtually all of my worries are based on future “predictions” which often don’t even happen, just like you said. The quote: “worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. it takes away today’s peace.” is wonderful!! This is a timely post, april, and I can’t thank you enough for sharing it. When I find myself slipping into this stressful worry place, I try to get back to the present and stick to the facts. It doesn’t always work, but just consciously focusing on what is true instead of what could be true helps more often than not.
I love this April, all this excitement, all this worry and then nothing, argh! Excitement is fun, but worry is such a time waster. Yes, I love your remedies, walking out in nature cures all. I’ve never done Qi chong, but I’ve had my Tai chi practise for the last 35 yrs, not too dissimilar I think.
I love this post April. Yes! I struggle with this every single day. I meditate before sleeping for this reason. I sit with my legs crossed, breathing in and out slowly. As I breathe in I put my arms out and say “I release anything negative that happened today”. Then I bring my hands up above my head as I say “and remember”, while I release my breathe I say “that worrying about it will not bring me peace and I deserve peace”.
The wording changes at times, depending on what works best that day.
It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who needs reminding sometimes. 🙂
Thanks!