"Just for today, Do Not Worry." ~Usui
Worry is a very human process. It starts in our minds, but it has an incredible power to infiltrate our spirit and emotional bodies with amazing speed.
Whether we believe something is “worth worrying about” or not, it can sometimes be very difficult to stop the actual process of worry. Yet this is another pathway many of us take everyday that eats up large amounts of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual time.
When you’re in a state of worry, you are so preoccupied by these thoughts that you can’t fully function in the present. That is because worry is rooted in the past and in the future. It is our past experiences that often shoot up an alarm saying, “Now you have to worry about this because look what happened before!” And from that frightful past reminder, our brain jumps into an imaginative mode of future thinking.
“Because of this horrible precedent, I just know this bad, bad thing is going to happen!”
The dangerous reality of worry is that when we apply our rich creative resources of visualization, mental dialogue and imagination to building an alternate reality fraught with disaster, then we are using these precious tools to actively build a self fulfilling prophecy.
That’s big.
Think about it for a moment. When we worry, we create a deep meditation, seeing our lives move in the direction of our worst fears. We create a blueprint for that reality, and the more automated or mindless we are about our actions, the more quickly we fulfill the destiny we’ve created.
This is why, when Usui says, “Just for today, do not worry,” I take it to heart.
Whenever I feel the nagging doubts that precede a full-blown worry meltdown, I enact a simple three-step process. I began doing this ten years ago and saw such instantaneous results in the outcome of my worry that I continue to do it today.
1. Calm Mind. I bring all of my thoughts to a crashing halt. I stop physically moving so that I can focus everything on the stream of thoughts creating havoc in my mind.
2. Just Say No. I focus very clearly on that thought process and on any visual triggers associated (such as the mental picture in my mind of whatever I’m worried about). In a clear, forceful, authoritative voice, I say, “NO!” It’s such a primal root word, it always goes directly to the source. I do not say, “No, I don’t really want that to happen...” I just say, “NO!” And with that powerful outward breath, I consciously release all of the worry from within my body. I feel the worry being blown out of me. “NO!”
3. Happy Thoughts. Lastly, I consciously envision an alternative future reality to the one that caused such distress. Sometimes it’s hard. To aid the process, I sometimes place my hands over my eyes, sending healing Reiki energy. I have also re-affirmed this vision out loud to myself, telling myself the new story two or three times until it begins to sink in. If there are solid actions I can take to make this the new reality, I take them immediately.
Some of us are worry warts. We worry about everything and we tell ourselves it’s just our nature, so it isn’t really doing any harm. In fact, by allowing worry to be the baseline for our existence, we miss out on a fabulous everyday life filled with unfettered hope and joyfully anticipation.
When we recognize that worry comes from our own perceived fears and we release those, we allow ourselves to fully engage in the present. Then we have the energetic means to challenge our fears directly through action and self-love.
Are there certain topics you worry about with regularity? Take a moment to ask yourself, how can you channel that worry into direct empowering action? What are three steps you can take, for today only, to eliminate that worry from you life?
happy healing,
Dailey
© 2011 Dailey Little. You are welcome to reproduce this article provided you do so in its entirety, including the copyright and this blurb: "Dailey Little is a Reiki Master and active practitioner. She teaches Reiki & other fun stuff through her private practice in Santa Rosa, CA. Join her joyful community for ReikiShares, Free Clinics, and eco-activism by signing up at her website, www.SantaRosaReiki.com"