As I was walking back from lunch today, it occurred to me that I spend too much time worrying about the inevitable.
“What’s wrong with that?” you might ask. “At least she’s worrying about things that will actually happen, rather than inventing irrational worries.”
“True dat,” I eloquently respond. BUT the problem with worrying about the inevitable is two-fold:
- If it’s truly inevitable, you can’t change it, so what’s the point of worrying?
- Many of the inevitable things I worry about may, and probably WON’T, occur until the distant future.
For example, I worry about losing my parents. Both are in their 50s and in good health, and I have no reason to think they are any more likely to die today than I am.
I worry about my dog, which is probably a more immediate worry since he’s 13 years old, wheezy, and full of lumps and bumps. But he’s happy enough and seems to feel pretty darn good on most days, so I should appreciate the time I have with him, rather than worrying.
I also dwell on upcoming events, like a trip I’m taking in about a month, where I’ll be missing my boyfriend. Again, this is happening, and then it’ll be over, and all will be well, and it’s definitely not worth worrying about in advance. But I do.
How do I let go of all of this stuff and live in the moment a little bit more?
