Letting Go and Being Happy

I'll admit it: I'm a worrier.  I start thinking about things and can't stop, and before I know it I'm worrying and wondering and angsting.  But all that anxiety never does me any good.  It just raises makes my skin break out and wastes a lot of time that could've been spent being proactive or happy. That's what this post is about--letting go of things that are stressing you, looking at the world clearly, and prioritizing making your existence a happy one for you and everyone around you.  When we're worrying, we're not connecting with those around us in a positive way because we're too caught up in the ropes of hypothetical worst-case scenarios, and our worries often prevent us from resolving our situations, too.  Thinking about a situation and actually coming up with a solution is one thing, but worrying about something you can't control? That's dangerous and unhealthy.



A while ago, I learned about "worry trails"--the pathways that worries etch into your brain.  Each time you have worries, these pathways get deeper and deeper, and they become like a default setting for your thoughts.  It's your job to pull yourself OFF of the worry trails.  The less you use them, the less deep they'll be, and eventually they'll be powerless against you.  When you feel yourself falling into them, take a few deep breaths and use your senses to focus on what's around you.  What does it smell like?  What's the temperature?  Ground yourself in reality, and then repeat this mantra: "I do the best I can.  I am doing the best I can.  All I'm doing is all I can and need to do.  I am at peace with myself and with others."

<3 Frances