Dean Kent

All Worrying Is Useless And Counterproductive

The mental process of worrying or being in a state of anxiety about the events that may or may not occur in the future is a complete waste of mental energy. When we’re in this state our ability to accomplish anything is severely limited and we basically become paralyzed. We lose the ability to do anything to positively affect our situation or enjoy any new experiences. When worrying has developed into a habit it can cause a host of negative problems for an individual. The sad part is that over time this habit may very well become so entrenched into a person’s brain that they believe it is a part of their identity and not what it actually is, a feedback loop or thought pattern within the brain.

From a certain place of understanding, it becomes blatantly clear that worrying about anything is absolutely pointless. There are several reasons why breaking a worry habit can be difficult:

• We don’t realize we have a worrying habit
• We have mistakenly made worrying a part of our identity
• We believe that we cannot break the habit
• All of the things above

We Are What We Believe We Are

The news that you can use if you realize you have a tendency to worry is that all of those situations can be transcended through a consistent meditation practice, but we must also understand how our beliefs about ourselves shape and mold us. The moment we believe something about ourselves, our brain begins to adapt itself to that belief. Once we commit to a belief about ourselves the brain itself begins to change in accordance with that belief. The dangerous part is that, if we are not careful, we can commit to beliefs about ourselves that hurt us, and the brain will adapt itself to solidify those beliefs. It is in this way that we truly become what we believe we are.

Understanding our thought patterns is a key to living a more meaningful life. As we grow in our capacity to see our minds from a more objective vantage point, which meditation will give us, our unique thought patterns will become clear. We will start to really see what proportions of our mental energy are used in unnecessary mental chatter and worry. We probably won’t like what we see when we first start seeing our thoughts in an objective way. To understand that you are not the thoughts you think or the emotions that arise in you is important and it will help when first beginning.

I hope this article helps or inspires you in some way and if worrying is something that resonates with you, please don’t feel alone. It takes courage to face yourself, and meditation requires this of you. But remember, theory is useless without application!