Hello Dear Hearts,
Worry is a misuse of imagination.
I’ve had this whimsical photo on my desktop for a very long time. It makes me smile.
Worry is a misuse of imagination.
I am quite skilled in the art of worry. I can really wind myself up in a tangle of worry when I set my mind to it. That photo is my sweet reminder. Worry is a misuse of imagination. Yep!
Consider the time and energy put into worrying. Have you noticed that the vast majority of the things you worry about never come to pass?
Worry can become an annoying but very comfy and familiar friend. Isn’t it weirdness that some of us even feel naked or nervous when we don’t have worrying going on?
When one worry vacates the premises another one moves right in. “Ok… THAT didn’t happen, but how about THIS.” Isn’t that the way of it sometimes?
Many of us have gotten this twisted notion that worry keeps the boogie man from venturing into our territory. “If I worry about something then it won’t happen”. Or, we get bunched up with the other side of the coin, “I’ve got to stop worrying about THAT, or THAT WILL happen.”
Sometime we confuse worry with taking action or getting something done. We might believe that if we don’t worry we won’t create the results, or make the changes, that are important to us. Worry can become the fuel that moves us through our days.
(Now, I’ve got you worried about worrying, don’t I?)
What I’ve found is that worry really zaps me of my vital life-force energy and enthusiasm. It stifles my inspiration and inhibits my clear, empowered action. ( So, as you can see, I even have good reasons to worry about my worrying.)
SO, WHAT’S A WORRIER TO DO?
I know demanding myself to “Stop Worrying” is futile. It’s like depriving a two-year-old of her favorite toy. The voice of worry just gets louder and much more stubborn.
SO, here’s what I do when I notice myself being sucked down the spiral of worry … I remind myself it’s only energy mixing it up with my imagination. I move that energy with a practice, like dancing, beating pillows or laughing … When the energy moves then the right-use of my imagination is unleashed.
Here’s a little taste of the imagination I’m talking about. Take a quick moment and play along with me right now…
Remember a time when you felt open and moving in the flow of life with sparks of creativity and inspiration organically moving through you. Let yourself imagine that moment as if it were happening right this second.
As you vividly replay that memory your breathing, your posture and your emotions come into resonance with the yumminess of that past-moment. Your imagination has become an instant portal to bring creativity and inspiration into this moment. The more vividly you turn up the volume on that memory the more every part of you being resonates with that vibe.
This is extraordinarily cool because your body reacts the same way if you’re conjuring up a story from the past or experiencing that situation right now.
And since the only place the past or the future exist is in the imagination, why not imagine your most heartfelt-enlivened story?
Yes, imagine that!
With love and imagination,
Sharon
