“You will find that thoughts are spiritual seeds which, when planted in the subconscious mind, have a tendency to sprout and grow, but unfortunately, the fruit is frequently not to our liking. The various forms of inflammation, paralysis, nervousness, and diseased conditions generally are the manifestation of fear, worry, care, anxiety, jealousy, hatred and similar thought. ” The Master Key System, (chapter 22 introduction) Charles F. Haanel first published in 1912.
A number of years ago, my aunt was asking me how Matt and Tom (my sons) were doing. When I told her that they had packed up Tom’s old car and moved out West, she wanted to know their plan. I didn’t think that they had a definite plan and told her that, to which she immediately asked, “Aren’t you worried about them?!” When I said that no I wasn’t, she proclaimed with a tone of both shock and disgust, ”Well then I will worry for you!” I shot back something like, “I really hope that you don’t do that. It is a very bad energy to put on people to worry about them.” She looked totally confused.
We are taught that worrying about someone means that we love them. It is looked on as an act of compassion to say, “I have been worried about you.”…but who really likes to hear this? I certainly don’t. It feels invasive to me, and shows a lack of trust in my ability to do well with whatever I am dealing with. I would much rather have someone say, when I am going through a tough time, “I know you are going to come out of this even better than before. I am not at all worried about you Mary! Don’t you worry ’bout a thing!”
So I am sending you out the same thought right now and if you would like to have this sung to you by Stevie Wonder, click the link below!
Thank you for the good energy! Have a great day!
Danced to this one!
Who won’t benefit from this spiritual seed, Mary? I dare say not a one. Thank you, thank you; you’re a genius!
There’s no longer any question……I just don’t start my days anymore without checking out your posting. You are the best!
Thank you for this post. I have always had a strong inner reaction when someone looks at me with such worried concerned eyes and says,”I’m worried about you…are you ok?” Thanks for puttting words to my feelings. Never really thot about it being negative energy TOWARDS me when someone else is worried about me…..i focus myself on knowing “I’m OK” all the time but just hadn’t considered the impact of others thots on me. Also thanks for the Stevie Wonder song….i hadn’t heard it…GREAT way to start my day!
Just for the heck of it, I looked up “worry” and found this simple definition:
“Worry is the misuse of your imagination. It is thinking vividly about what you don’t want to happen in the future or dwelling on an unhappy past event.” My goodness! We’ve talked so many times on this blog about imagining what you DO want to have happen, the very opposite of worry! How can goodness and joy manifest from worry? Just can’t, so let’s continue to encourage each other with nothing but positive thinking and resolute intention. And never waste our time spinning our wheels in worry! AND, Mary Rita Scott, I do believe this is the weekend of you son’s wedding! Warm wishes for a joyous time!
“Worry is the misuse of your imagination” is so perfectly stated… thanks so much for looking this up and posting Susan!
Susan,
I want whatever dictionary you use! When I drug out the old Webster’s it conveyed the obvious associations of unease, troubled, anxious, etc. But your version puts it into application and context–’misuse of your imagination’—marvelous simplicity.
The imp in me sees an opportunity to print up ‘worry citations’ (akin to parking violations) to hand out to those around me when needed. Delivered with a smile, of course, “Sorry, ma’am/sir, that’s a misuse of you imagination!”
Here you go Cheryl: I was lazy and didn’t even run to a book – just googled worry and found the line I quoted in wikipedia- in the second paragraph. I love the idea of worry citations! That phrase “misuse of your imagination” has been swirling around my head all morning. Is it really as simple as that? Echoes of John Lennon’s song floating around in there too. . Imagine. . .
“Out west” is a great place to travel to. I feel privileged to live here. The western part of our US is vast and generous with it’s mountains, lakes, ocean and land mass. I don’t know just where yours guys traveled but likely they found a high on the spaciousness and wonder of the “west”. Maybe they decided to stay. We welcome them!
Loved your post today, Mary, and also yesterday about the scared kitten in the field. I’d be so interested in the outcome, but I’ll not worry ’bout a thing’.
Thanks Virginia..little kitty (which we named “Wonder” in honor of Stevie and this song) came around at midnight last night. This is the fiestiest little cat that I have ever met! Definitely feral and would be called by my mother, “A scrappy little number!”…he/she is under our back porch at the moment after eating a big meal!
Little Wonder of wonders! What a beautiful name – would Stevie ever have thought back in 1973 that his song would inspire the name of a kitty 38 years later? So glad you shared the good news Mary! Don’t worry, be happy! as Bobby Mc Ferrin sings in his own happiness song!
Yes, yes, yes! Welcome, kitty Wonder!
Thank you for an uncannily well-timed post this morning, Mary. I needed this reminder today! Bless you for the difference you make to so many.
Mary! What were you doing in my dream last night?
Excellent clarification of my thoughts around others worrying about me. My mother is a champion at this – she will worry about anything. My daughter went to Australia for a semester during college and my mother was frantic with worry. She finally said aren’t you afraid she could die? My response was that I’d rather she die doing something she enjoyed than live staring at four walls. My mom was not very happy with THAT response.
She finds it hard to understand that nothing is risk free in life.
Nancy
http://www.dogear6.com
yes, yes, yes!
I love that song! i love the name Wonder! I love that s/he came to you for sustenance! I love your post and this dialogue! Thank you!!
Oh, I love this post! Thanks Mary as always, and I love Susan’s “misuse of imagination” definition. I am singing another song in my head by Bob Marley,
“don’t worry bout a thing!”
It’s no wonder that Little Wonder is under your porch now, Mary. And many thanks to Susan for my new mantra since I have worrying in my genes from both sides of the family. I will also be thinking of Mary Rita at the wedding this weekend. Going “out West” is a rite of passage. I did it, and it took me 16 years before I was ready to come back. I heard Clarissa Pinkola Estes talk once, and she said that if you don’t let the kids fall down and make mistakes, you’ll end up with a whole lot of really stupid old people. I think it’s much better to let them know that you’ll always be there if they just want you to walk beside them and listen for a while.
I hope all of you have a wonderful, relaxing holiday!
“if you don’t let the kids fall down and make mistakes, you’ll end up with a whole lot of really stupid old people.” is just such a great way of putting it!….thank you Victoria!