Dear Worry . . .

You’ve been a major pain in the butt for most of my life, ever since I was a teenager. Heck, you are for most people’s lives. But as of today, I’m writing to inform you, Worry, that I am kicking you to the curb once and for all.

I’ve been on this path since my mid-20s when I took – and later taught – the Dale Carnegie Course. Mr. Carnegie wrote a famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, almost 90 years ago. But he also wrote How to Stop Worrying and Stop Living, which is a part of the modern-day course.

This book/course gave me my first tools for my mental toolkit to start to squash you, Worry. And when I met my husband John, his overall stress-free personality began to help me get rid of my “Elevens” – those two vertical lines that pop up on my forehead when you hit me hard.

Thank God for both, because if I hadn’t had them, you would have defeated me in parenthood, taking care of elderly parents, losing jobs, and so much more. I would probably have become an insomniac, battled a chronic illness, or died from stress. (No, I’m not exaggerating.) But you still were my immediate response, Worry, when something stressful smacked into me.

Not anymore.

Middle age and my ever-growing faith have given me a calm like I’ve never experienced before. Now, when you try to grab hold of my heart and mind, I have three powerful ways to block you before you even dare to show your face. Things like:

1. Filing important tasks, projects, chores, and responsibilities into their proper “box” – or day – in my mind. If some future thing hits my brain on a Monday night, for example, I just say, “That’s not for right now!” and mentally place it in Tuesday’s box. It works beautifully.
2. Holding on to gratitude. Oh, boy, does this knock you on your keister, Worry. They say that it’s grateful people who are happy, and it’s so true. For example, we recently had an unexpected roof repair pop up – my son Jacob had noticed some “bubbling” in the paint in a corner of his bedroom. Yes, the $3,000 repair estimate hurt, especially when we found out that it wasn’t covered by insurance. But I chose instead to be grateful that Jacob said something before it got worse and that we had the money in our emergency fund to cover it. Take that, Worry.
3. Praying, and doing it often. In the past few weeks, I found out that a dear friend lost their job … another is battling depression … a client is dragging their feet about renewing their agreement which could affect one of my team members. Am I going to let Worry take over? Absolutely not.

Instead, I’ve been praying for everyone and trusting that God is going to transform each situation and make it better. Sometimes I pray with everyone at dinner, other times I pray on walks with my dogs, and sometimes I just get down on my knees. But prayer has become, and always will be, my number one tool to fight – and defeat – you.

With prayer front and center in my life, Worry will never overcome me again. It is my ultimate sword, shield, and fortress – all wrapped up into the most powerful force to defeat you. I won’t miss you at all, Worry, and I hope I can help others kick you to the curb.

With Enthusiasm,
Amy

Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs, and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.