We all worry about things we can not control and when I step away from a worry I have, I think what a waste of time. I should focus on what I can control and rid myself of things I can not. For the past week I have a new technique to rid myself of worry.

When I catch myself worrying about something I replace the word worry with wonder. I say to myself  “I wonder about…” instead of “I worry about.” I want to eliminate the word “worry” from my self-talk vocabulary.

What I find this does is to refocus me into an action-type scenario instead of being stuck with a worry looping over and over in my head.  Now when a wonder  pops into my head,  I ask myself “can I do anything about this?” or “can it or will it change?” and if my answer is no I will say to myself “get out of my head” and the focus on and enjoy what is happening at that exact moment.

It is funny what a difference one word can make. I think I am much more efficient with my time and my outlook seems brighter.

What are your techniques for handling worry?

As I watched the movie, The Blind Side, it made me think about how being kind and compassionate to others, even when it is difficult,  pays you back over and over. The Blind Side is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy, who became an all American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring, spit fire woman and her family.

At first the ‘foster’ relationship is informal however as time progresses each family member’s life is enriched because of their interaction with Michael. Michael had endured so much as a child and yet remained kind and focused. How? His mother, who was a drug addict,  had told him to shut his eyes and not see the bad stuff and know that every day, from that moment on would be better, and to not ever to look back.

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