Don't Worry Be Happy

My Message to the world…

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Lets get right to the point; if ever there was waste of good energy, it’s worry. I Grew up in a house full of it with an Italian-Sicilian Mother. I used to think it was in her genes and now I know better. Now I hope to rid the world of worry as I have from my own life.

First, if your worried that means that you’re concerned about the future outcome of something and doing that will only increase the chances of having a negative result. Why? Because it will either cloud your mind affecting your judgment or stop you from taking necessary action. Most times we have no control over the outcome anyway but what we do have control of is our actions in between; that’s where your attention should be.

Two, worry is an emotion rooted in fear. Fear will not serve you. Some people think fear is a motivator and that it causes some people to take action. That may be effective in the short-term but it will ruin you over time by wearing out your mind and nervous system. Plus the action you may take might serve you, but that same action could also be taken without the worry or fear. Do not Fear repeating a past mistake or having a poor outcome; have Faith that everything happens for a reason and all things are intended to serve you. Either you will learn a valuable lesson, grow in some way, be introduced to a new person, idea, opportunity etc…

Three, worry is a “Choice!” Never fool yourself into thinking you have no control over your emotions. You can always choose to take action or shift your focus.

Lastly, if you’re worried that means you’re not “present”. You’re not in the moment, instead your brain is jumping ahead to the “what if”, in the future or some past mistake rather than being in the moment and focused on what you’re doing now!

Next time you find yourself in a place of worry or fear…take action, “Joyous Action”. I dare you to try and worry plus take action at the same time, it’s impossible. What do I mean by take action? Take “right” action; something that will move you forward. Start by writing a top ten list of your favorite things to do on a beautiful summer day OR 5 goals you wish to accomplish this year and really give thought to what you’re passionate about. You could also watch a funny movie or put on some uplifting music, read a good book, go to the gym etc… The point is shift your focus! Plus if you’re watching a comedy or working out both laughter and exercise will induce endorphins and help pep you up.

Here is another action you can take…WORK. Whenever I was down or worried about an outcome, a mentor of mine always told me, “work don’t whine”. As a financial planner just starting out years ago I had some pretty discouraging days and my mentor would tell me to make phone calls to clients and prospective clients, and I would feel better. Of course it would be the last thing I wanted to do, but I knew he was right. Afterward I always felt better, no matter what the outcome because while I was making calls the worry was gone and when I was done there was always something positive I could take away from what I did. Even if it was something small, like one of the people I spoke to was nice and gave me permission to call back.

“Worry is fruitless and life is meant to be fruitful at all times!”

I once attended a personal development workshop called “Life Directions” . It was a very powerful workshop intended to help you find your mission or “Direction” in life, your Purpose. One of the exercises had us write a poem or song expressing what we feel is our message to the world. At the time here is what I came up with, see if you can name that tune:

“Here’s a little song I wrote, I’d like to sing it note for note
say don’t worry, be happy.
Fear is nothing but anticipation of pain, don’t let negative thoughts poison your brain
so don’t worry, be happy.
for when you live your mission it’s true, the vision of your life will come to you
so don’t worry, be happy.
Worry is very bad for your health
and all it ever does is stagnate your wealth,
so don’t worry, be happy”

It’s also key to get educated on the harm worry does to us physically. Here is an excerpt from WebMD.com and one of the best descriptions of what worry can do.
Can excessive worrying make me physically ill?

Chronic worrying and emotional stress can trigger a host of health problems. The problem occurs when fight or flight is triggered daily by excessive worrying and anxiety. The fight or flight response causes the body’s sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones such as cortisol. These hormones can boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides (blood fats) that can be used by the body for fuel. The hormones also cause physical reactions such as:

* difficulty swallowing
* dizziness
* dry mouth
* fast heartbeat
* fatigue
* headaches
* inability to concentrate
* irritability
* muscle aches
* muscle tension
* nausea
* nervous energy
* rapid breathing
* shortness of breath
* sweating
* trembling and twitching

When the excessive fuel in the blood isn’t used for physical activities, the chronic anxiety and outpouring of stress hormones can have serious physical consequences, including:

* suppression of the immune system
* digestive disorders
* muscle tension
* short-term memory loss
* premature coronary artery disease
* heart attack

In severe cases when excessive worrying and high anxiety go untreated, they can lead to depression and even suicidal thoughts.
So How Do You Stop Worry Warts from Popping up?

1. Most cases of fear and worry are brought on from a lack of knowledge, we tend to fear the unknown. So “go get ya learn on.” Ask yourself what scares me about this? Why am I worried and how can I get better educated to see if there really is a reason for concern. Maybe you’re scared to fly. One, before getting in the plane research what turbulence is, how safe flying is compared to other forms of travel, what are all the safety precautions you can take etc…

2. As mentioned at the start of this post shift your focus, if only for a bit. Turn your thoughts preferably only to the present. Same example you’re in a plane, scared to fly and you hit turbulence. What is happening at the moment? Truly, nothing at all. The plane is simply hitting pockets of air but, where are your thoughts? Fire, crash, falling etc… (sorry if you’re heart is racing but if so, here is another example you’re just in your chair, it’s ok) So the reality is, it’s a common occurrence, the plane can take tremendous turbulence and all will be just fine bumpy or not, you are, at that moment safe in your seat.

3. Get active. You cannot worry about an outcome and work towards a goal at the same time. Figure out what small, joyous step you can take towards our goal and do ‘that’. Even if you go for a jog. We worry less when we’re moving.

4. Take deep controlled breathes in and out slowly while envisioning yourself in your favorite place. The beach, your bed, the top of a favorite hiking trail or wherever.

In the end just remember, it’s all good. Everything will be OK and worry never changed anything for the better so don’t waste your time and energy.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this post and received some value from this message. Please submit your comments I welcome your feed back. Also, if attending life changing seminars and workshops where you can learn more about living “Worry Free” and live to your full potential, is of interest to you, just click on the link provided below.

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Peace & Prosperity,

Dallas Cyr