Worry Is Not A Friend... But A Frienemy!

Worrying. We all do it from time to time, but does it help us or hurt us? I used to think it was helpful and that without it I might make a wrong decision or my life might veer off track. I used worry as a compass and hoped it would give me special insights and lead me the right way.

Seriously, I felt like if I didn't mentally fret over my current situation or future that I might somehow lose my foothold and my life would land in a ditch! The infinite mental "what if's" would keep me up at night and anxious. I'd even worry that without my worrying I might "miss something" and live a life of regret!

Ironically, looking back, one of my biggest regrets is... worrying. I felt like I had to do this life-thing on my own. I was solely responsible for how my life turned out. If I failed it was all on me. All my fault. With failure I'd be alone and... unloveable.

Feeling overwhelmed with this heavy burden called "my life", I was utterly stressed out! I didn't lean on my Higher Power (God) until after many years when I finally realized I was powerless with my worry. Worry and I were not working out!

I was no longer in control... worry, stress, anxiety and fear were my masters. I lost my way. No time for love, for peace or for joy as I attempted to sooth my fears and loneliness on my own. I realized worry was NOT my friend... but a true "frienemy". Worry looks like a friend on the surface, but is a saboteur beneath it's "helpful" facade.

My addictive attempts at self-soothing only led me to more worry. My way of worrying only bringing me to more of itself. Nothing I could plan or ponder ever once changed the future, except for making me feel more drained and emotionally bankrupt upon it's arrival.

Worry is a mental addiction. Like a broken record it delivers nothing new but the same old tune again and again. Instead of making a positive change or walking down a positive path worry holds us hostage keeping us from following our Purpose, from listening to His Voice of direction and hope.

Worry is a false god. Yes, worshipped and listened to above all other voices, most specifically God's. Worry offers us false hope, far away from the promise of peace and the Purpose God has for us!

Instead of "Letting Go and Letting God" we hold onto worry. We worry in an attempt to control the uncontrollable. We look to worry for direction and companionship instead of looking to God. When we worry we forget about the One True God that has us all in His Loving care.

Let's let go of worry! Let's reclaim our mind and join our minds with God's instead! Let's never again confuse care and concern for worry. Let's stop believing in worry's lie of self-sufficiency and let go of our false sense of control. Let's stop this destructive behavior and instead hand our worries, our thoughts and fears to God!

Without worry monopolizing our mind we will now be open to God's direction and guidance! Heeding His voice we can truly be led towards peace, love and happiness! Letting go of worry lets us now lean on Him and rest in His arms of Love!

❤ Not Just A Blonde

Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"

I Don't Care What You Think...

Actually, I do care what you think. As a recovering "people pleaser" sometimes I care more than I should. In fact, I've missed out on authentic moments because of the fear that you might not like me. I worry you may not like me because I'm too liberal, or too conservative, too talkative or too boring, too sensitive or too insensitive, too Spiritual or too "churchy", too agreeable or too opinionated, too nice or too harsh... or just too "whatever" to ever be accepted for who I am!

These of course are all deep seated projections and not based on any true feedback... just causing me wasted time worrying about the unknown "what ifs" of my many imperfections. It actually is difficult for me not to care about what others think... not just for a need of external validation but even more because I don't want to be messing up and unknowingly hurt an innocent soul due to my ignorance & stupidity!

Earlier this week I bumped into someone who repeatedly has given me the cold shoulder... and I wondered if I should say something (nicely, but honestly what do you say?) or just let it go? I immediately thought "I wonder if it's me she just doesn't like or if I said or did something wrong?" My first instinct is to worry and wonder if it was it was some kind of failure on my part... the second is to just not like her back. Sigh. I know, I know... Not. Good.

So, here I go... worrying about the unknown... making it all about me. Truth is, maybe I did do or say something unloving or unkind... and I should acknowledge it, and do something about it! If so, I would definitely need to make amends, try and repair any damages, forgive myself and move on. Everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect... and someone somewhere is bound not to like me. Yet it's also possible it has nothing to do with me at all! That's just the truth... and I am directed to react to those people not with worry, fear or returned disdain... but with love.

When I sense weird vibes or feel I've been snubbed for some unknown reason I am called not to worry about it endlessly nor am I to just let it go! God has a bigger plan for me! God wants me in Peace, but he also calls me to love as He loves. I'm to notice their pain and pray for them, love them in the moment whether or not it's "deserved"! I am called to return their forced smile with a warm one, sincere and full of Christ's Love.

It's not that we shouldn't care about what people think at all, but it is senseless spending time worrying or wondering about the unknown. It is my hope one day I will no longer be controlled by this fear of what people think... but seek to care about how they feel! I will focus more on learning to love. I will let go of my fears and expectations of others. I will not make it all about me, but instead... all about love. I can't please everyone... but I can love everyone.