Do you worry?
I certainly do, though I must admit that in correlation to the current Crisis I Choose Not to Mention, my concerns seem pretty petty.
My dog is too fat.
What kind of grade did I get in that college class I just finished?
Will I EVER find a way to quit smoking without getting fat and going crazy in the process?
And what’s up with that character in the new book?
You get the idea.
Recently, I came across a pointer that really helps with this worrying thing. I’m not sure where I read it–I’ve got my nose in a book every spare minute. It’s called Reverse Worrying, and this is what you do. When a fear comes up, it’s a little scene that plays out in your head. If you’re like me, you forget that you’re the one writing the scene, and you DO have creative control. In fact, you’re not just the writer, you’re the director and producer, too. So instead of just buying in, and going with it as though this is really what’s going to happen, why not imagine something better, and focus on that? It takes practice, but it’s a skill worth developing.
What’s your pet worry? What are 20 ways it could turn out that are positive?
What’s the best case scenario? You already know the worst one, so why go over that ground?
Try it.
Worrying eats up precious energy and may even attract the unwanted event. Who needs that?
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
