It’s another installment of our question box questions today! This week, the question is: How can I stop worrying about life?

My first reaction to this is “when you figure it out, can you let me know?” I have always been a worrier. Sometimes it has served me well; more often it gets in the way. But I have found that it is not something you can flip a switch and turn off, no matter how much you might like to.

However, I do think our monthly theme of liberation might have some answer for this question. How can we liberate ourselves from worrying? How can we break free of the prison of worry?

Often, liberation is talked about as a struggle that pits “us” against “them.” Those who need liberation are fighting against some outside force. But I find that sometimes, I need liberation from myself – from unhelpful thoughts and patterns, from assumptions, from expectations. Worrying about life is one of those things that can hold us back unnecessarily. And, as hard as it is, we can choose to think differently.

Rev. Scott Taylor writes: “All of the great religions agree: We are more powerful than we realize, or want to admit.” We do have the power to let go of worries. We do have the power to change our thinking about life. We can liberate ourselves.

For each person, it might take something different to free ourselves of the burden of worry. In my case, I’ve tried to replace worrying with two important spiritual practices: letting go and gratitude. It doesn’t always work, but it helps. When I start worrying, I try to turn my thoughts instead to these questions: “What do I need to do to let this go?” or “What in my life am I grateful for?”

If any of you find the answer to ending worry, let me know! In the meantime, I’ll do my best with these simple practices. I hope they may be useful to you as well.

Blessings,

Allison