By Millicent Parker | November 13, 2017
My new motto is “Be curious,” when I want to worry about an outcome or get stuck on all the things that could go wrong in a situation. I turn it around and decide that I am going to allow myself to “be curious” about all the possible ways that this could work out for my good.
If you have ever been called a worrywart, if you can look back on your day or the past several hours and can’t remember what you have been doing because you were focused on something that is about to happen, something that happened last week or why something happened you probably qualify as one who may want to tune in.
We can all admit to worrying about bills, the children, the job or any number of things at some point in our lives. The issue is that the act of worrying about the situations in no way helps the situation. Instead when you worry you can’t focus, you can’t sleep, and you lose your appetite and even your passion for life. For some worry causes you to act in ways that you never thought you would, such as getting angry and lashing out, making rash decisions or not using good judgment. For others worry and fear can be paralyzing, when you need to act you cannot and that can impact you negatively.
Instead of worrying “be curious,” allow yourself to think about how things could work out for you. Think about how your situation could benefit all involved. Think about the multiple ways in which things could turn around and be a positive experience.
By now you are probably thinking, why lie to myself. Am I supposed to just ignore what is in front of me? Of course not, but has focusing solely on it made it better. Has giving this issue your undivided attention helped the situation at all? For most of us the answer is a resounding, “NO” but if you chose instead to be curious, it can lighten your load. The journey of getting through the ordeal does not have to be so draining, straining and downright painful.
Curiosity opens the door to options, other alternatives and potentials. We free our minds to receive new possibilities for navigating a situation or reconciling that there are some things that are not in our control. When we are curious, we relieve stress and anxiety and stop the incessant fixation with figuring “it” out NOW!
Curiosity gives you space to breathe. We tend to hold our breath (literally, as if we are bracing for something to happen) during stressful times, depriving our brain of the oxygen needed to think clearly.
Curiosity does not make light of your situation, but it can shed light on the situation. There is freedom in looking for possibilities in any situation and curiosity sets the stage for you to receive more experiences that work out for your good. It will not change your situation, but curiosity will change how you experience the situation.
Be curious and allow things to change in your experience.
For additional reading feel free to check out the links below.
Further Reading:
“What, Me Worry? Why Worrying Does More Harm Than Good” – Psychology Today Article”A Simple Strategy to Help Worried Kid” – Psychology Today Article”6 Powerful Steps to Stop Worrying and Start Living” – Huffington Post Article
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