Thursday, June 8, 2023

The Lifetime Worrier!

It goes without saying that being an adult is synonymous with worrying. It somehow makes us feel more “mature and in control.” The number of horizontal lines on the forehead display the “WQ” or the “worry quotient” . If you are fortunate enough then you may have some verticals as well adorning the third-eye landscape. A somber look on the face with a few fidgety gestures seem to have everything right in place to call one a “successful worrier”

The growth curve of my “worrying career” looks more remarkable as compared to my “professional” one, giving me exponential returns and bonuses in the form of anxiety attacks and tachycardia. Is being a perpetual worrier bad? That’s debatable! I have worried about my daughter not being home on time, a school project left unattended till the date of submission, or what to serve at a birthday party. On a daily basis, this looks normal. But, if I take into account the number of years invested in worrying about non-consequential things then the data does look alarming.
Let’s stop for a moment and think….how many years we have spent on worrying about absolute useless things. How many sleepless nights we spent fretting over issues which we don’t even remember now. Is it not strange that we cannot even recall most of the things we worried about so sincerely. Only a few incidents can be reckoned that may have made you feel really anxious, for example a death of a family member or losing a job. In short, what remains of unprecedented situations with us is that which has impacted us the most. Others have just vanished into thin air.
Now, as I am aging I feel I need to check my habit of worrying unless I want to welcome unwanted guests like hypertension and cardiac issues. I regret not utilizing that “worry time” achieving something worthwhile like writing, socializing, or traveling. Let me replace the word “regret” as it sounds like a milder version of worry. Refrain is the better word.



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