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I’m no stranger to excessive worrying.
I tend to worry about silly, irrational things and spend a copious amount of time thinking about problems that don’t linger.
But I hardly remember that all things eventually pass. When I’m in the thick of it, I obsess over tiny details that make no sense. Somehow, my mind seriously believes that the more I worry, the faster I solve my problems.
I’ve learned the hard way that worrying doesn’t solve anything. It only keeps me stuck in an endless loop of overthinking and makes me think that my workable problems are massive disasters.
Buddhism has also helped me tremendously and expanded my perspective. There’s a famous saying in Tibet about worrying that replays in my mind whenever I catch myself getting anxious or overwhelmed:
“If a problem can be solved, there is no use worrying about it. If it can’t be solved, worrying will do no good.”
Buddhists believe that worrying is useless. It robs us of the ability to focus on the present moment, which is full of opportunities and actionable steps.
Instead of getting lost in thoughts, we need to train ourselves to focus on what we can do—not what we can’t control.
Throughout the years, I have read many quotes and books that have seriously changed the way I see problems. They have inspired me to deal with my daily worries differently and identify the triggers that tend to increase my anxious thoughts.
If you are also a worrier, I hope these quotes will inspire courage and hope:
1. “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” ~ Corrie ten Boo
2. “Anticipating problems and figuring out how to solve them is actually the opposite of worrying: it’s productive.” ~ Chris Hadfield
3. “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” ~ Walter Hagen
4. “Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.” ~ Walt Disney
5. “Worry is a form of fear, and all forms of fear produce fatigue.” ~ Bertrand Russell
6. “Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.” ~ Dale Carnegie
7. “If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.” ~ Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
8. “Worry is irrelevant. It alters nothing. When was the last time you solved a problem by worrying about it?” ~ Max Lucado
9. “One of the worst features about worrying is that it destroys our ability to concentrate. When we worry, our minds jump here and there and everywhere, and we lose all power of decision. However, when we force ourselves to face the worst and accept it mentally, we then eliminate all those vague imaginings and put ourselves in a position in which we are able to concentrate on our problem.” ~ Dale Carnegie
10. “Worrying, obsessing, and controlling are illusions. They are tricks we play on ourselves.” ~ Melody Beattie
11. “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” ~ Epictetus
12. “Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago? How did they work out? Didn’t you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them? Didn’t most of them turn out all right after all?” ~ Dale Carnegie
13. “Be empty of worrying. Think of who created thought! Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?” ~ Rumi
14. “When adversity overtakes you, it pays to be thankful it was not worse instead of worrying over your misfortune.” ~ Napoleon Hill
15. “Show me a worrying person and I will show you a person who does not know how to relax.” ~ Albert E Cliffe
16. “I believe confidence is all about being positive concerning what you can do — and not worrying over what you can’t do.” ~ Joyce Meyer
~
author: Elyane Youssef
Image: tailored.art/Instagram
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