Concern versus Worry
I was talking about this subject a little while ago with my girlfriend. We were talking a bit about not trying to worry about things that we can't control and to not worry needlessly about things.
My own personal philosophy is that worrying is anxiety caused by a potential "What If?", while a concern is anxiety caused by a tangible "What Is".
Concern is a valuble emotion and one that allows us to spot and deal with any potential problems before they occur or worsen. It is anxiety that someone becomes aware of and must deal with.
Worrying can be a paralyzing, wasteful, and negative emotion that creates unnecessary anxiety and stress for people in their lives. It is anxiety that someone obsesses about and doesn't know how to deal with.
One example of this would be a person getting ready to go on a camping trip. If he worries, he will spend hours going through all the "What ifs" that are on their mind. What if it's raining? What if there are bears there? What if there is a thunderstorm? and so on. They spend so much time and energy on worrying about everything that COULD happen or COULD go wrong that they no longer look forward to the event and can't enjoy it fully.
A wise person would go through many of the same thoughts, but instead of worrying about them. They simply pack an umbrella, take the necessary precautions if there might be bears in the area, and make alternate plans in case the weather turns bad. If something is a potential problem, then you examine what you can do about it. If there is something you can do about it then do so. If not, then try to make an alternate plan and not worry about it.
Of course all this is easier said than done. But objectively addressing problems and concerns and not panicking or getting stressed out over them is a very important skill to learn and hone throughout our lives. Worry, fear, and anxiety are all feelings that can make problems and obstacles seem much worse. Concern, objectivity, and remaining calm are all feelings that can help ease or even solve problems we have in life.
So my motto of "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, expect the unexpected" reflects this philosophy to a degree. One should always try to keep positive and optimistic about things in your life. But one should also make sure that you are prepared just in case something goes wrong. And one should always try to keep things flexible and fluid enough so that if there is a surprise you can deal with it in a calm and constructive way.
I think the way a person deals with problems and adversity is one of the most important things that they can develop in their life, and this is especially true for healers, teachers, and spiritual leaders. A shaman or medicine man in almost every society is basically just a problem solver for their community. So the way they deal with these problems is as important, maybe even more so, than the results.
x-posted to neo_shamanism
My own personal philosophy is that worrying is anxiety caused by a potential "What If?", while a concern is anxiety caused by a tangible "What Is".
Concern is a valuble emotion and one that allows us to spot and deal with any potential problems before they occur or worsen. It is anxiety that someone becomes aware of and must deal with.
Worrying can be a paralyzing, wasteful, and negative emotion that creates unnecessary anxiety and stress for people in their lives. It is anxiety that someone obsesses about and doesn't know how to deal with.
One example of this would be a person getting ready to go on a camping trip. If he worries, he will spend hours going through all the "What ifs" that are on their mind. What if it's raining? What if there are bears there? What if there is a thunderstorm? and so on. They spend so much time and energy on worrying about everything that COULD happen or COULD go wrong that they no longer look forward to the event and can't enjoy it fully.
A wise person would go through many of the same thoughts, but instead of worrying about them. They simply pack an umbrella, take the necessary precautions if there might be bears in the area, and make alternate plans in case the weather turns bad. If something is a potential problem, then you examine what you can do about it. If there is something you can do about it then do so. If not, then try to make an alternate plan and not worry about it.
Of course all this is easier said than done. But objectively addressing problems and concerns and not panicking or getting stressed out over them is a very important skill to learn and hone throughout our lives. Worry, fear, and anxiety are all feelings that can make problems and obstacles seem much worse. Concern, objectivity, and remaining calm are all feelings that can help ease or even solve problems we have in life.
So my motto of "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, expect the unexpected" reflects this philosophy to a degree. One should always try to keep positive and optimistic about things in your life. But one should also make sure that you are prepared just in case something goes wrong. And one should always try to keep things flexible and fluid enough so that if there is a surprise you can deal with it in a calm and constructive way.
I think the way a person deals with problems and adversity is one of the most important things that they can develop in their life, and this is especially true for healers, teachers, and spiritual leaders. A shaman or medicine man in almost every society is basically just a problem solver for their community. So the way they deal with these problems is as important, maybe even more so, than the results.
x-posted to neo_shamanism