You should always be working on a project, otherwise your mind is going to make up problems for you to worry about.
Seventeen years ago, my therapist said this to me when I asked why I couldn’t stop worrying about all the potentially bad things that could happen in the future.
He was 100% right.
Most of what I used to worry about never happened. And the worst things that happened in my life, I never imagined would happen – until they did.
I spent much of the first 34 years of my life worrying about problems that were not real and anticipating a future that never occurred.
What a waste.
I see something similar all the time today across society.
When people don’t have real problems to deal with, they make up problems.
- Microaggressions
- Social Media spats
- Conflating Urgent with Important
- Thought Police-ing
- Scolding Stranger’s Behavior
Social media amplifies this, but believe me, you don’t need social media to make up problems. I did fine on my own for decades long before social media existed.
If you are like I once was, trapped in your head with fear, outrage or anxiety, there is a way out.
Go solve a real problem.
Fix the broken light switch. Create art. Mow the lawn. Walk the dog. Write. Clean the house.
Or, focus on a big project. It might just save your life.