On Fear and Worry

It’s amazing that human beings can suffer “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” without being in a constant state of depression and anxiety.  We do it with creative denial* and the knowledge that a life lived in fear is not worth living.  When we worry we anticipate a fearful situation, but we fail to anticipate the mitigating circumstances surrounding it.  We can’t imagine how we will be able to deal with a bad situation.  And yet, when the time comes, we usually do cope. 

A few days ago, I was bogged down in worry about how I would be able to take care of Roger after I return to work.  Already circumstances are beginning to change.  Roger’s energy and clarity of mind are increasing daily.  By the time we return to Missoula he’ll be able to take care of himself, certainly for the 8 hours a day that I need to be at work, at least.

Human beings are remarkably resilient.  When our worst fears do come to pass, we see that they are not as bad as we projected, circumstances have changed so that we have the means to deal with the situation, we learn how to suppress the fear and do what must be done, or, when all else fails, we rationalize it by saying “now that the worst has happened, things can only get better.”

That we waste too much energy spinning our wheels in worry is an easy thing to say.  Of course, it’s one thing to know that on an intellectual level and quite another to change your behavior.  I have enough real threats to deal with without making things up!  So my plan of action will be to focus my energy on the real problems and stop doing battle with the imaginary ones.

Wish me luck.

Here's another photo from our neighborhood walk yesterday.

And, something to ponder.  Prayer: is it just another way of worrying?  Or is it a way of letting go of worry?


*Creative denial = “I admit this bad thing is happening to me, but I deny that it has the power to destroy me.”