I used to worry. A lot. The more I fretted, the more proficientI became at it. Anxiety begets anxiety. I even worried that I worried toomuch! Ulcers might develop. My health could fail. My finances could depleteto pay the hospital bills.A comedian once said, "I tried to drown my worrieswith gin, but my worries are equipped with flotation devices." Whilenot a drinker, I certainly could identify! My worries could swim, jumpand pole vault!
To get some perspective, I visited a well known, Dallasbusinessman, Fred Smith. Fred mentored such luminaries as motivationalwhiz Zig Ziglar, business guru Ken Blanchard and leadership expert JohnMaxwell. Fred listened as I poured out my concerns and then said, "Vicki,you need to learn to wait to worry."
As the words sank in, I asked Fred if he ever spent timefretting. (I was quite certain he wouldn't admit it if he did. He was prettyfull of testosterone-even at age 90.) To my surprise, he confessed thatin years gone by he had been a top-notch worrier!
"I decided that I would wait to worry!" he explained."I decided that I'd wait until I actually had a reason to worry-somethingthat was happening, not just something that might happen-before I worried.
"When I'm tempted to get alarmed," he confided,"I tell myself, 'Fred, you've got to wait to worry! Until you knowdifferently, don't worry.' And I don't. Waiting to worry helps me developthe habit of not worrying and that helps me not be tempted to worry."
Fred possessed a quick mind and a gift for gab. As such,he became a captivating public speaker. "I frequently ask audienceswhat they were worried about this time last year. I get a lot of laughs,"he said, "because most people can't remember. Then I ask if they havea current worry - you see nods from everybody. Then I remind them thatthe average worrier is 92% inefficient - only 8% of what we worry aboutever comes true."
Charles Spurgeon said it best. "Anxiety does not emptytomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength."
