Do you find yourself worrying about things?
Do you sometimes catch yourself thinking about all the possible things that could go wrong?
Well if so, this is good news, and I’m serious!
The process of worrying is actually the same process as being at the highest level of happiness – plus two additional unnecessary steps.
Once you discover these two additional unnecessary steps and get better at forgetting to take them, what used to be worry can be happiness at the highest level.
Let me explain.
When we worry about something, we first have to be open to what else is possible. We have to open up to what else might be possible now in the current situation, essentially asking ourselves:
“What else is possible now?”
This is the same process we go through to be happy at the highest level: we stay open to what else is possible.
When we worry though, we are simply taking two additional steps that create the feelings or worry.
After asking the first question, our brain usually discovers one possibility that we wouldn’t want to have happen and then we allow this thought to frame the rest of our exploration. From that point on, instead of staying open to all else that might be possible, our brain then begins to look only for those things that might happen as a result of the first negative idea.
For example: You look at your 401K and it’s down from last month. You open to what else is possible essentially asking yourself:
“What else is possible now?”
Your brain answers: “I could loose everything in my 401K like some people did in 2008”.
Your brain then asks: “What else might happen if I loose everything?” and then it continues to explore only what else might be possible if that happened. And then you’re in worry land, thinking about all the negative things that might happen.
So the steps to how to worry might look like this:
Step 1: Be open to what else is possible
Step 2: Find one negative scenario that is possible
Step 3: Close off to all other possibilities and explore only things that could happen as a result of that
The happiest people have discovered that continuing to stay open to what else is possible throughout the entire process, is one of the keys to happiness at the highest level.
Not allowing your brain to settle on just one scenario to explore IS staying happy at the highest level.
For example: You look at your 401K and it’s down from last month. You open to what else is possible essentially asking yourself:
“What else is possible now?”
Your brain might answer: “I could loose everything in my 401K like some people did in 2008”. And then it might ask: “What else might happen if I loose everything?”
But if you continue to stay open to what else is possible instead of exploring only that one possible scenario, you might ask yourself:
“What if I don’t? What else would be possible?”
Then you are keeping your experience open and curious about all possibilities and you might find that worry becomes impossible when you do this.
So the steps to how to not worry might look like this:
Step 1: Be open to what else is possible
Step 2: Be open to what else is possible
Step 3: (You guessed it) Be open to what else is possible
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to keep from going into worry and staying at the highest levels of happiness:
Money: Your brain says: “What if I loose everything?” You say: “What if I don’t? What else is possible now?”
Relationships: Your brain says: “What if he or she leaves me?” You say: “What if they don’t. What else is possible now?”
Health: Your brain says: “What if I don’t get better?” You say: “What if I do?What else is possible now?”
Art: Your brain says: “What if my life has no purpose?” You say “What if it does?What else is possible now?”
If this feels exciting, try this out the next time you catch yourself starting to explore only the negative things that could happen.
-Andy
For words and music that ignite your unlimited possibilities, visit: http://www.AndyHarrisonMusic.com
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