It was Margaret Millar, the mystery and suspense writer who said: Don’t borrow trouble, the interest is too high.
Don’t borrow trouble!
Don’t borrow trouble. Now that’s something a dyed-in-the-wool ‘worrier’ like me continues to learn. When I stopped worrying about a lot of things, including the big one ‘what will people think of me?’, I felt I had come a long way. I am glad that the practice of gratitude has brought a lot of peace and acceptance of things. And I’ve begun to see that things happen for a reason.
I’m still working on this and last week I had another chance for a ‘lesson’ in it. I get upset with myself when I am not able to meet certain deadlines or do the things I’ve planned. Last week, I was upset when I wasn’t able to keep up reading blogs like I planned to. I had the time, I just didn’t have the energy! I began my usual self-analysis and beating myself up about being lazy.
That’s until I read this:
“We often wonder what to do about negativity or certain troubling emotions. In the spaciousness of meditation, you can view your thoughts and emotions with a totally unbiased attitude. When your attitude changes, then the whole atmosphere of your mind changes, even the very nature of your thoughts and emotions. When you become more agreeable, then they do; if you have no difficulty with them, they will have no difficulty with you either.”
– Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Spiritual Classic & International Bestseller
No point borrowing trouble, I told myself. I am not going to over-analyse myself. Instead I read more books, slept more and generally rested. I realized that the hectic activity of the few last weeks was catching up on me and all I needed was rest!
How often we forget that! And how much we need it!
I’ve been doing The Mindful Break Challenge on Instagram and am happy to report that reflecting on my theme of ‘be present not perfect’ has helped me a lot to let go and stop worrying.
What did you learn or re-learn recently?
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My re-learning always comes back to remembering my need for exercise and fresh air. I’ve been “allowing myself” the luxury of longer walks with the dog instead of my usual business like in-and-out, and it’s such a gift!
Over- analysing and over-thinking is my Achilles heels too. I should stop doing that.
This is a lesson I keep needing to relearn over and over again. Thanks for the reminder.
Every now and then we should just take a break and chill. My Saturdays are my blob out days and once every few months I take time off work just to chill. I’m enjoying the mindful break challenge too.
I always tell my mom this, stop finding things to worry about! But I think it is something we do unconsciously and with age it just gets worse. We constantly beat ourselves up, blaming ourselves for probable consequences of our actions. It is simply not that easy to let go. That said, cluttering up the mind with these negative thoughts does pull us down in a way we don’t realize. So at some point we need to let go and look objectively, if we need to stay sane.
Corinne, why is it that every time you write or post, it resonates with just what I’m experiencing in life? Your Insta posts on #mindfulness plus your blog posts are always synchronous to my being.
Thank you for this perfect reminder. I think I’ve also tired my self out from the break neck scramble of the last few weeks, and I just need to be. Read and sleep and eat #mindfully, the latter seeping into my being so beautifully with #TheMindfulBreak.
Your last lines,
” ‘be present not perfect’ has helped me a lot to let go and stop worrying.”
“Letting go” is what has been sent to me through signs, messages, people, my own spoken words; now for sometime. And do you remember that picture of mine at the Beatles Ashram, with the slogan, “Let it Be” in the background. Well, that’s the mantra that I am aiming to imbibe. So hard, yet so doable and so very calming if taken forward.
Thank you for your words.