My New Challenge Part 2

I have decided that this book is going to help me SO MUCH because I have only been through 2.5 chapters and I already feel a million times better.

Now, to clarify some things, the root of all my stress and worry comes from work. I work at JoAnn Fabric and Crafts here in Idaho Falls as the assistant manager (or merchandising team leader for those of you who know the titles at JoAnn's). Now, to most of you that probably doesn't sound very stressful by any means. It's a fabric store for crying out loud. But remember that I make things to be more complicated than they need to be. And it is a pretty intense job being in management anyway: making sure everything runs smoothly, fixing customer problems, resolving issues between employees, training, etc, etc. It's hard some days to really like my job and with being SO bogged down with worry and stress lately, those days come few and far between. I come home everyday from work and, out of habit, I continue to think about what happened at work, what I could have done to make the day better, what things I did/didn't do that day and what else I have to get done at certain times. That's how I go to bed too and why it's hard for me to get to sleep quickly. Whew! It gets pretty exhausting.

So in the latest chapters of the book that I have been reading, Dale Carnegie talks about a magic formula for solving worry situations. Here it is:

1. Ask yourself: "What is the worst that can possibly happen?"

2. Be prepared to accept it if you have to.

3. Then calmly proceed to improve on the worst.

Pretty self explanatory. But I think in my case, I get too overwhelmed with how to fix it RIGHT NOW instead of being calm and collected and following these steps in each situation. Somehow, my brain decided it's easier to deal with worry at maximum capacity then trying to solve it step by step. Ugh.

Then he talks about the effects worry has on the body. Did you know it can cause everything from tooth decay to diabetes? Not to mention ulcers and indigestion.

"Those who keep the peace of their inner selves in the midst of the tumult of the modern city are immune from nervous diseases." Dr. Alexis Carrel. Amen to that.

I had to close the store last night, which is normal and I don't mind doing it, but I also had to set a new ad and that potentially could have been pretty stressful. I won't bore you with the details but it's time consuming and not my favorite thing to do. I could have freaked out about only having an hour to set the entire store with new sale signs, but I chose not to. I knew that I would do my absolute best to get the job done, but then I thought to myself, "What's the worst that could happen?" Maybe I wouldn't get all my signs up, or I would go over my 40 hours for the week and get in lots of trouble...in any case, I knew I wouldn't lose my job or anything drastic like that. So I did the best I could. I stopped worrying that I wouldn't get anything done. Turns out I didn't have to worry about anything because we finished just in time. All of my signs got put up and everything was ok. And I didn't go over 40 hours.

I think the less time we spend worrying, the more time we have to get things done! Life is too short to be worried all the time and not any fun at all. I am determined to make that thinking process a habit so that I can be worry free!

I love that feeling :)

My New Challenge

Hello everyone! (Warning: this entry is not intended to be negative or full of "poor me's"...I'm just writing down some things happening in my life!) :)

I have a confession.

I am a worry wart. To the extreme.

Let me explain. I have had this problem of mine for as long as I can remember. I have made a lot of seemingly simple things in my life a lot more complicated because I worry too much. I always worry about things that hardly ever happen and then beat myself up inside for worrying over it when everything turns out ok. I internalize everything (I don't like people seeing my stress and frustration so I learned to hide it)...which has, on numerous occasions, made me physically ill. Every time I try to get some sleep, and I know I have a big day coming up the next day or that week, I immediately start thinking of everything I have to do and I make myself think I have to get it all done the next day, thus resulting in waking up no less than 4 times a night and not being able to fall asleep for two hours after I go to bed. Like I said, this is a problem I've had for quite some time and I know it's only going to get worse if I don't do something about it. Simply talking it out does not help because I keep thinking of everything I have to do and it makes me anxious and jittery.

SO, my loving husband, Lee, took it upon himself to help me to fix this problem of mine. He is an EXTREMELY patient man (thank heavens) and has helped me through many bad days and illnesses. He has been such a strength and an example to me as we have been married, and let me tell you, he is the greatest blessing I could ever receive in my life. Lee is the only one (besides my mom) that has truly been able to get through to me when I am struggling. He knows exactly what to say and how to help me feel better about anything, no matter the situation, every single time.

I think Heavenly Father knew what I needed and he sent me my Lee.

Now, having said all that, Lee introduced me to a book called, "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Dale Carnegie. This book, so far, is AWESOME. I am only through chapter one as of tonight but I know this book can help me. Lee has been reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by the same author and just loves the book. I already have learned so much about the simple fact that all we have is today, this very moment. Why waste our time worrying about what happened yesterday or what could happen tomorrow? There is a lovely poem that I enjoyed in the first chapter of my book, which sets the stage, I believe, for the rest:

Salutation To The Dawn

by Kalidasa (famous Indian dramatist)

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:

The bliss of growth

The glory of action

The splendor of beauty,

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision,

But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope,

Look well, therefore, to this day!

Such is the salutation to the dawn.

So my challenge, to myself, is to take this book and apply it to the best of my ability to my everyday life so that I may finally conquer this problem. Of course, my Heavenly Father is heavily involved and will always be. Only through Him may I make my weaknesses become strengths.

I know I can master this. I want to be able to remember these years and tell my kids how happy I was!

I hope you'll go with me through this little journey!