The Joy of a Life Without Worry
I am a self-proclaimed worry wart. I am always worrying. Whether it's about school, the future, my friends, my family, or worrying about the fact that I worry so much, my life has been a constant struggle of worrying about the past or worrying about the future - which is an incredibly unhealthy and unfulfilling way of life.
About six months ago, I decided that worrying was probably not the way I wanted to spend the next eighty years of my life. Not only does it take a toll on your emotions and burdens your heart, worrying mentally breaks me down - just think of all the brain power I've wasted!
My decision to live without worry came about as a sort of revelation to me that I didn't actually need to be in control of my life. The age-old adage assumes that now (being your twenties) is the time for you to go and figure everything out and find your perfect job and your perfect match and plan ahead and start a family and live just like an adult should live. However, taking a step back from these worldly pressures, I've come to the conclusion that if at any point in my life I'm allowed to not have it all figured out, that time is now.
Living a life of worry stops us from experiencing the current moment, because we're always hyper-aware of the future. If I'm always thinking about how my life will be five years from now, worrying that it may not be where I want it to be, I'll be missing out on the present (which, ironically, I would probably end up worrying about how many years I spent worrying that I'll never get back).
I found this Bible verse that really illuminated this revelation:
Matthew 6:27 NIV
"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"
Answer: Absolutely not. We dwell in these thoughts and anxieties hoping that they will change the outcome of our situations. In reality, our lives will not get any longer. These are the hours for creating relationships, making memories, living for the beauty of life - not to be wasted in a vicious and self-deprecating cycle of worry.
And the beauty of this story? We have the hope and reassurance that our lives are in the hands of Someone much, much more powerful than we are. Regardless of how much we worry about what's going to happen, our paths are not our own.
What a relief, right? In making the decision to worry less, I've already felt a remarkably lighter load on my heart.
Plus, now I've got all this time, brain space and emotional room to devote myself to the things that really matter - like living whole-heartedly in the present.
