I am a practicing Vedantin. I am also in the stage of Aantara Sanyasa. That blog post was written almost a year ago and since then I have only firmed up on my practice and can affirm that I hardly ever worry now. I am also blessed with an innate happy frame of mind that I inherited from my mother. For me, this topic is a living reality. I hope that this blog post will inspire my readers to also not worry and be happy.
This is my take on this week’s Friday 6 On 1 blog post topic. The other five bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Sanjana, Padmum, Raju, Shackman and Conrad. This week’s topic was suggested by me. Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they have to say on the topic. Thank you.
Interesting – I posted Bob Marley’s version of the song and then wrote about its origin in Pune. I was surprisd to learn of Meher Baba and his philosophy and its Pune origins. his turned into a much more interesting topic than I imagined.
I too quite enjoyed creating the post Shackman. I have not yet visited your blog but if needed, I shall come back here and add something.
I’ve always worried too much, and I’ve tried all sorts of anti-worry techniques but none of them worked. I shall probably go to my grave worrying about the after-life….
That is quite a confession to make Nick. Perhaps you too should take up to some kind of spiritual pursuits!
Sometimes I think I should have worried more. It would have saved me a spot of occasional (and justified) worry now.
“You have a problem” Yes, “You don’t know how to solve it?” No. In that scenario “don’t worry” is plain unrealistic. There is worry and there is worry. The hysterical kind, the realistic kind.
The hysterical worriers are those I call “catastrophizers”. I had a couple of those in my life. They blow everything out of proportion. They are the people I’d never go to with a problem. By the time the catastrophizer has finished with you your molehill will have turned into doom and gloom. The realistic worrier makes sure the ship stays roughly on course by taking the necessary precautions, knowing where the pitfalls may lie, planning ahead.
U
This is one area where advice of any kind simply does not work in most real life situations. The Swamiji’s presentation is logical, and even humourous but, as you point out, could be impossible to implement in many real life situations.
Years ago, I bought a motivational audio series on cassette tape by a fellow by the name of Earl Nightingale. One of the things that stuck with me was his take on worry.
𝖠𝗇 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗉𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍.
𝟣) 𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝖾𝗇: 𝟦𝟢 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍. 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌, 𝟦𝟢 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝖼𝖼𝗎𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝗒𝗐𝖺𝗒.
𝟤) 𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗇’𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽: 𝟥𝟢 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍.
𝟥) 𝖭𝖾𝖾𝖽𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗍𝗁: 𝟣𝟤 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍.
𝟦) 𝖯𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗒, 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝖼𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖾𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌: 𝟣𝟢 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍.
𝟧) 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝗅, 𝗅𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌: 𝟪 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍. 𝖮𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝟪 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍. 𝖭𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗍𝗒-𝗍𝗐𝗈 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗉𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗇𝗈 𝗌𝗎𝖻𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅.
Mike Goad recently posted..Weigh-In Wednesday.
Haven’t heard of Earl Nightingale. Will look him up. Thank you for the reference. Interesting statistics.
Everything in New Zealand has been a complete jumble in my head space since we moved to our severe lockdown (Level 4) in March – came out of it a few months later, stayed at Level 1 until about 10 days ago when a seemingly random community case appeared and Auckland region is back to Level 3 (rest of country at L/2) which according to Donald T we are sunk! Never mind the stats that show that Donald T has forgotten what is happening in his own country.
I’m not worried about that – in fact, it’s a bit like a tourist advert for free…
My other worries are taken care of daily, sometimes I don’t have anything to resolve so those are plain sailing errr fresh walks around my ‘hood. Because right now I’m restricted where I can go. As I go, I think about what I need to do…then at some point I stop and take a photo – sometimes something fairly random…this is to show my friend on f/b that I’m doing it. It was their idea that I start daily walks when my head space was so jumbled back in the earlier period after L/4.
The pay off for the walks has shown me that steep slopes are doable, I remember one street I tried out at the beginning, I had to stop every 10 steps and catch my breath – now I might stop once and then carry on. I often briefly stop to look at something, intriguing “can I get a photo” or I might talk with someone else at a distance or I have to step up a driveway to allow our distance not to collide. I’m definitely fitter, I don’t collapse on the bed on return although usually I’ve managed to get hot/sweaty. Yes, I’ve got rained upon at times but doesn’t seem to mean I won’t go out, early afternoon (winter here)…and I now go!
At times, I can’t but help a “worry” – but being on my own, in some ways helps- because I can do something that might not sit well with a bigger “bubble arrangement” … but at times I wish someone was actually here, maybe cook us dinner!
Catherine de Seton recently posted..And now it’s Friday…
Catherine, all your readers will agree with me that you are one remarkable lady. People of your vintage have a lot to learn from you not only in New Zealand but, also in other places.
I’ve always loved Bob Marley and this song especially.
Don’t Worry Be Happy!
it’s just wonderful. thank you for the reminder. it’s so beautifully simple. and in his short life he really lived it I think.
I’m re-reading the books by Eckhart Tolle.
and listening to the short (7 to 10 min) excerpts of all of his talks.
and some even go as long as half an hour or so. I like him very much.
as he says… there’s no point really in all of the worry we might do.
all we EVER have is the NOW. right now.
it helps in keeping it all in perspective.
and your post has helped me too. thank you Sean. xo
Entirely my pleasure Tammy. ET is a remarkable self help Guru and I have read him. I haven’t heard his recordings though and now that you mention that, shall investigate youtube.