When was the last time you felt scared or worried? Worried that something bad would happen? Scared that something wouldn’t go the way you wanted it to?
Our fears and worries are just as different for each of us as our faces are from one another.
For you, it might be the fear that you won't make it in something that means the world to you. Perhaps it's the worry of what major you should pursue and whether or not you'll even find a job. It could be the fear of drowning in student debt or failing a tough class that makes you want to curl up in a ball and give up. Maybe you worry about the safety of your family. Or maybe you're scared of letting your walls down just to get hurt yet again.
No matter how bad a situation seems, you can still know that everything will work out in the end. Cliche? Maybe.
But, as a baby girl whose father died when she was only 18 months, I am still able to say that with confidence because I’ve seen it in my own life.
Do you think I never fought with God about why he took my father? Do you think I never worried about what life might look like down the road without him? Do you think I never wondered who would walk me down the aisle? Do you think I never felt like I was so broken I couldn’t be put back together?
In life, things happen. More bluntly than that is the truth is that things will happen whether or not we sicken ourselves with worry. Of course, you could try to control everything, but there are far too many variables. And unfortunately, controlling them all is something you just won't be able to do.
If we allow it, fear could completely overtake our lives and consume the already limited mental and emotional capacity we might have.
There is a phrase in the Afrikaans language: “moenie vrees nie.” When translated, it means don’t be afraid. Fear will cripple your every potential and it will leave you anxious and stressed beyond belief.
There are three ways to get around fear and worry:
1. Speak well
We tend to forget the immense power our thoughts and words hold. What you say to yourself and the thoughts you entertain in your mind is what will consume you and very well, what will end up happening.
It's like if you ever realized you liked a specific car and all of a sudden, you saw that car everywhere. It's because mentally, whether you were aware of it or not, it was constantly in your focus.
If you focus on the good, you'll notice more good. But if you focus on the bad, you'll keep finding more bad to worry about.
2. Be brutally logical about it
If you are able to make peace with the fact that whatever must happen will happen, and that even then, it will still it will all work out in the end, you’ll see that the distress caused by worrying about what might go wrong becomes avoidable.
3. Give it to something bigger than you
I don't know what does it for you, but for me, the biggest thing that calms my fear and worry is my faith that God sees further than I could ever, and He's got my back. It's evident He had it when my father died, and it's evident He still has it now.
It's not that all of a sudden life is perfect, but it's a big part of why I'm at peace with where I am. Find something that brings that kind of peace for you. We were never meant to struggle on our own.
The more energy you spend worrying, the less you'll have to actually live. And I get it; it can be especially tough in the most desperate times in life, but, remember even then, everything will still work out.
I'm not saying I never worry, I definitely still do, but I'm learning to roll with the punches. I mean, hey, if you're flat on the ground, you can only go from there anyway, right?
Takeaway:
Fear does not control your life unless you give it the power to.
Speak impeccably. Saying good things out loud will give you the courage to actually believe them. After all, what you believe is what you'll get.
Remind yourself that things happen whether or not you make yourself sick of worrying about them, so you may as well enjoy moments rather than stressing out about them.
Thank you so much for spending this time with me. You know, nobody ever said it was easy, this thing called life, but no matter how tough something seems, you are tougher. Contact me or leave a comment, I'd love to hear what you have to say about the content of this post. You're a gem!
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." - Psalm 34:4 NIV
Broken to Beautiful. Where Your Pain Becomes Your Power.