HOW FAST ARE YOU TRYING TO GO? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 79

Are you an impatient type?  When you were a child were you always anxiously awaiting the first day of school, the first day of summer vacation, your birthday, Halloween, Hanukkah, or Christmas?  I was like that when I was growing up and even after I had children of my own.  Then something happened in my life which caused me to be so anxious about what might happen in the future that I found I was making myself physically sick with anxiety.

Friends and even my family doctor gave me all sorts of advice and helpful quotes trying to lessen my anxiety about the future.  The two which I found most helpful were:

Don't worry about the morrow as today has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

Life is going to come only one day at a time so learn to take it that way; remember that much if not most of what you worry about will never happen.

Today's message is:

DAY BY DAY

CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 7

Being a control freak most of my life, one of the most difficult things for me to accept was that in reality there is not much I can control other than my attitude.  My dear mother was the consummate worrier, and at times she would actually make herself physically ill from worry.  She always expected the worst in every situation.  My dad was not a worrier but rather a "doer."  At the end of the day, I am much more like him than my mom.

When my children were young I divorced my husband.  Although I knew it was the right decision,  I soon  was scaring myself to death thinking about things that might happen to the children in the future if I could not juggle home, work, finances, and all the responsibilities of parenting.  I had to talk to myself saying that if I did not stop worrying I would end up like my mother making myself physically ill.  That would not be good for the children or me.

Some time later I read a Scripture verse (Matthew 6:34) which says, "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  That verse resonated with me, and I realized I was worrying about things that might never happen (and they never did).

In the past several years my family and I have experienced some challenges:

•   Three years of unemployment for one member, 
•   A collapsed lung for another,
•   A pulmonary embolism and lung cancer for me.

On days when I would slip back into my old ways of trying to figure out how I was going to fix everything, a dear friend reminded me of The Serenity Prayer.  As a recovering alcoholic with 28 years of sobriety, he credits this prayer with helping him to turn his life around so many years ago.  He still prays it daily.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Even if you are not a religious person or you do not believe in prayer, I think the common sense of that prayer is the solution to relieving much stress.  We all have to accept things we cannot change, and yet we must be strong enough to change the things we can.  The common sense part is being wise enough to know the difference.

Today's message is:

Don't Worry!