July/August 2002
Feature Articles
Holistic Health Q & A
by Dr. George Forster
Of whiplash and prescription drugs.
What is... the Organic Movement?
by Robert Roman
Part one of a three-part article detailing
the author's personal experiences and the growth of the organic movement.
UnCommon Sense!
by David Findlay
The Middle East, terrorism, weapons
of mass destruction.
Articles on the theme "To Worry Or Not To Worry"
What, Me Worry?
by AnneMarie Dyer
A vacation leads to some spiritual
insights.
Worrier To Warrior
by Lisa Raphael
The difference between someone who
worries and a warrior, a person of courage and vigor.
The Righteous Worrier!
by Rev. D. Kaye Patrick
Does worry really mean loving and caring?
Or is worrying a waste of time and energy?
Let It Go!
by Tracy Woolrich
Easy to say, but how to do it?
Why Worry?
by Bob Murray PhD
The underlying cause of over-anxious
reactions and generalized worry - and the solution.
A Balancing Act
by Charles Larsen
Of over-reacting and under-reacting
and the attempt to find a middle ground.
Too Blessed To Be Stressed
by Rev. Pat Cross
The power to choose between a human
or a spiritual view of our problems.
Remember Scarlett O'Hara
by Dave Hunt
A life without worry? How to achieve
it?
Remember Scarlett O'Hara
Dave Hunt
Can you imagine what it means to have no cares, no worries, no anxieties, but merely to be perfectly calm and quiet all the time?
When we do our inner emotional and spiritual work, instead of feeling anxious and worried, we can instead feel calm and receptive to the good that is waiting to be revealed in our lives. Our discomfort is telling us there is something amiss in the way we are perceiving the situation. This is a good thing. I certainly don't want to carry around a mind full of worries all day. Do you?
So I ask myself, "Can I do something to help resolve this worrisome situation today?" If there is, that's wonderful. Let me at it. But if there is nothing I can do about it today, then I choose to set it aside turn it over to God let it go for now. By focusing on "the problem" I only make myself miserable!
When Scarlett O'Hara said, "I'll think about it all tomorrow, at Tara," she was speaking from hard-earned wisdom. Scarlett knew it would not help to worry about things she could do nothing about today. She was not saying there were no problems. Nor was she saying that she was unwilling to make difficult decisions. But she knew there was nothing she could do about all of her problems at that moment. Scarlett refused to let worry ruin her day.
Here are some specific things I do. First, I consciously ask God for a new, loving perception of the situation. Usually, I talk to myself a little, reminding myself that this is not the end of the world! Sometimes I write in my journal the thoughts that are keeping me focused on the past or focused on the future. I know every time when I am worried, that I am stewing over something that happened in the past or else imagining something that might occur in the future.
I remind myself, while my mind and body calms, that a new, loving perception will be coming to me soon. And then, I go out and play. I go for a walk. I call a friend. I take in a movie. And voila! very often my negative thoughts are soon replaced with calm thoughts and easy feelings.
Mentally obsessing never helps. The way that works is knowing that "there is a spiritual solution to every problem," as Wayne Dyer has said. And, if I will just stop my mind-chatter long enough, the solution can come to mind with amazing clarity.
A Course in Miracles teaches us that as long as we fill our mind with thoughts that cause worry, anxiety and fear, we block our ability to receive divinely inspired thoughts that might be exactly what we need to resolve the situation.
Another point: if we are not getting positive results from these efforts, it might help if we pause and ask ourselves, "What is it that I am not willing to turn over to God?"
Are you worried about what might happen in your relationship when you are together next time? Don't forget there is no peace to be found in thoughts of the past or future! Are you upset about what was going on at work yesterday? If so, can you do anything to correct the problem today? If not, try going for a walk as you await your shift in perception.
In the 12-Step Programs they have a slogan, "We turned it over to a Power greater than ourselves." Is this Pollyanna-ish? Are we being irresponsible by putting our problems on the back burner? I think not. I believe we will only find a solution to a problem when we stop worrying about it!
Does this mean you don't have to worry about paying your bills, fulfilling your obligations? That's right! You don't have to worry. Worry will accomplish nothing. You will have a much clearer mind when you deal with situations without worry. In fact, you can invite your Higher Power to help you deal with every situation in your life so you'll never have to worry again! Do I really believe it is possible to live in this world without worry and let God direct and guide me all through the day? Absolutely. And I can do so by simply putting one foot in front of the other, moving through my day one step at a time, one minute at a time, leaving tomorrow's challenges until tomorrow.
We always have a choice of the thoughts we think. Each moment we can choose worrisome thoughts that result in anxious feelings. Or we can, each moment, choose to let go and let God. And by "turning it over" we will experience inner calm and a quiet mind. At the same time we can think thoughts that tend to cancel out worry. Try choosing thoughts such as, "I am being directed toward my highest good... I am being cared for by a Power greater than myself... everything is in Divine order." Nobody is forcing us to worry! And when we release our worry thoughts, we flow through the day with grace and ease, knowing that what lies behind is gone forever. And what lies ahead is not yet for us to fret.
And when all else fails, we can remember Scarlett O'Hara and think about it all tomorrow.
Dave Hunt has been teaching classes on A Course in Miracles
for more than 10 years. Clearwater FL (727) 463-5211.
d-h@ij.net
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