Breaking the Worry Habit

Question 1

Rule 1: Occupational Therapy

Answer 1

The mind can only focus on one thing at a time.

Stay busy to lose yourself in action to avoid withering in despair.

Activity must not be mechanical but require mental and physical effort

Nature abhors a vacuum. An idle mind will fill with negative primal emotions of jealousy, worry

Question 2

Rule 2: Beetles

Answer 2

Do not allow yourself to be upset by small things you should despise and forget.

“Life is too short to be little.” Disraeli

Marriage counselor: marriage issues reduce to trivialities

Beetle analogy: 400 year old tree survives storm and disaster, is destroyed by incessant beetle attacks over time instead.

Question 3

Rule 3: The Law of Averages

Answer 3

Remind yourself to encourage all concern to “examine the record.”

According to the law of averages, what are the chances the outcome you worry about will even occur?

Question 4

Rule 4: Cooperate With The Inevitable

Answer 4

Serenity Prayer

Flemish inscription on 15th century cathedral in Amsterdam: “It is so. It cannot be otherwise.”

“Be willing to have it so. Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.” William James

The way we react to circumstances determines our feelings.
Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is inside you

“When I can’t handle events, I let them handle themselves.” Henry Ford

Question 5

Rule 4: Cooperate…Further Reflections

Answer 5

“There is only one way to happiness. To cease worrying about things that are beyond the power of your will.” Epictetus

“Bend like the willow, do not resist like the oak.”
Jiu Jitsu

Tire analogy: built rigid, destroyed. Built to absorb shock, to “take it,” they can endure

Jailer to Socrates, passing the poison cup: “try to bear lightly what needs must be.”

Serenity to accept
Courage to chang
Wisdom to know the difference

Question 6

Rule 5: Use “Stop-loss” concept to limit your downside

Answer 6

1) . How much does the thing I’m worried about really matter to me?
2) . At what point will I set a stop-loss order on this worry, and forget it?
3) . How much will I pay for this whistle? Have I already paid too much?

(Franklin using all his money to buy an item without asking the price-pain outweighed pleasure)

Franklin: large portion of mankind’s miseries are false estimations of the value of things, and giving too much for what they get back.