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4/13/09 3:38 P

Thanks very much for this post on optimism. I grew up with two very fearful parents who constantly warned me that the world was a dangerous place and people are not to be trusted. Though I have made great progress in replacing these "tapes", I still have to remember periodically how far I've come and to not fall back into habits of worry.

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4/11/09 7:24 P

I try to live a positive life each day.... I was once told by a pessimist that I was only happy because I didn't look at the reality of the world. I told him that I choose my own reality. The world is as it is... I choose how I look at it and how I react! I CHOOSE to see the positive ... no garbage truck here, thanks!

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4/10/09 11:20 P

Worry destroys the present over something that may never happen in the future.

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4/9/09 11:38 A

I don't worry about anything because my sister will do it for all of us, you too, if you pass them along. She loves to worry. I don't make time for worry, life's too short, and it's going to happen anyway!

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4/9/09 9:21 A

Thanks

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4/9/09 9:13 A

Excellent advice- thanks for posting!

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4/9/09 8:56 A

Life is short! Enjoy every minute! As the late Bob Marley so wonderfully sang - "Don't Worry. Be Happy!"

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4/9/09 7:38 A

Thanks for sharing. It reminded me of my MIL.

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4/9/09 7:21 A

My mom was the queen of worriers and I picked up a lot of her traits. I could make myself physically sick with worry. I've made a lot of progess on this in the last couple of years I still backslide from time to time, but now I can catch myself before it gets out of hand. I agree with Jewells, there are great inspirations here on Spark!

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4/9/09 7:14 A

Interesting

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4/9/09 12:17 A

My mother has been deceased for over 20 years and I still hear her tapes. Her disapproval of what I choose to do or critism about what I have done. Working on that though.

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4/8/09 11:26 P

great posts and thoughts from both of you!

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4/8/09 10:38 P

You want inspiration?
We ahve many inspiring people in here. I can't pinpoint just one fo them because we all have great stories to tell. There are some who have jumped quite a few hurdles to get to where they are at.

Today Sassi-Queen Celebrated her 1 year anniversary. Check out ehr blog.
Last week it was BellaCuddles and weekb efore I think it was Betterme100 and mine is the 17th. Sucess stories on Spark People have really motivated me, too. But it is me who actually keeps me going. Not others. I ahve to control myself.

I love reading all the members blogs. We ahve a darn special team here.

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4/8/09 10:13 P

Hi, I've been looking around tonight for inspiration & I found one blog that got me thinking...hmmmm..I have made a lot of progress in stopping worry. I was raised by a worrier & have been working for about 20 years to get that voice outta my head. You can be at your childhood home or a million miles away & my mom has the skill of asking you questions that cause sweat beads to form on your brow & your spinal cord & entire nervous system to shake at levels that seem they could register on the Richter scale. My hubby & I secretly refer to her as, "OOOOOOH LOOOOrd" because no matter the news you deliver, I guarantee you, those will be her first words spoken in a tone of voice that can only be described as syrupy fear. One step I took early on, once the initial anxiety would pass--I would have to debate & decide my mom's fear was once again irrational, so it would be ok to stop worrying. To aid myself in my plight, I did not get married until I was 29 b/c I was looking for an optimist that I could team up with & it took that long for me to find one that I was compatible with since at the time I was calling myself a realist. I may not have ever actually lived with an optimist, but I could recognize them b/c I had been studying them since I was 12.--I spent the night out a lot & was amazed at the different ways people interracted with one another & I tried to take mental notes so I could learn how to behave that way, so as to be attractive to an optimist b/c--I already had enough negativity in me for both people in the relationship, so I couldn't afford to be with anyone with too much baggage of his own--haha. Anyway, I knew I had met the ONE & that he was truly an optimist because when I asked him his blood type he said, "B positive of course."hahaha gotta love that guy, right? Anyway, through the years, I have observed him & became jealous of the fact that he could handle any crisis(& these were biggie $$$ ones)without having to go thru the worry phase. It really got on my nerves; but then one day I sat down & really thought about what a huge wasteful, destructive reaction it is. Then I caught a really big clue when I realized something else: ALL THE REALLY GREAT & REALLY HORRIBLE things that had happened all the way along my life had been events that I never could have, in my wildest dreams, seen it coming. Wow--that was weird for me to realize that all the scenarios that I'd spent flipping around in my mind, had done me no good. So, I realized I could just stop!!Epiphany! My freedom from worry really took a huge turn in my favor at that moment---which of course is why I'm sharing this--hoping to offer someone else who's burdened with worry--to let it go; the sky will not fall. I was so amazed at my epiphany, that I ran it across a licensed counselor to be sure I was on target & he told me the best way to handle a crisis is to sit down, relax, think of your best 3 solutions that come to mind & then sleep on it(it helps with processing)& then in the morning take action on the 1 of the 3 solutions that you like best. He pointed out that you only know what you know, so unless you know an expert you can ask--you're not gonna come up with a better solution. He also said that once you take that action, if you don't get the results you hoped for then put your second favorite plan into action. But here's the really crazy part he pointed out, once you take that 1st action, you may even learn new information that can help you find your solution & the cycle goes on & on....no worry in that cycle at all. He gave me the example of 3 teenagers sitting on their front porch talking to one another about the best plan to start up a fortune 500 company---they only know what they know, so odds are they will not get the plan right, until they either meet someone who has done it, or get a job in the industry & keep your eyes open trying to learn how. Cool, huh? In fact, McDonald's has a commercial running that shows a teen girl working their cash register, who grows up to be their Vice President--and they're asking, do you believe. I hope this post will help someone who is burdened with worry to reconsider. Learning all these things is an ongoing course that no one ever really graduates from, but they all get a lot smarter as they go. I seek people out who have the answers that I am looking for & always will b/c I'll always want to be getting stronger & wiser. Anyway, I hope I helped at least one person b/c it makes my own struggles seem like they served a helpful purpose. Here are some optimistic quotes below at this link, for anyone who's looking. Always look on the bright side; you can't see in the dark. Have a good one.
www.the-benefits-of-positive-thinking.com/
quotes-on-being-positive.html

Edited by: CHARLIESANGEL10 at: 4/8/2009 (22:19)