Don't Worry - Be Happy

Bobby McFerron was onto something back in the 80s with his, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" hit. It became the first a cappella song to hit number one on the Billboards Top 100 chart and stayed there for two weeks.

Guilt, regret, and worry are precursors to stress, which can lead to more serious illnesses. An individual who is worried knows it is not the solution but is unable to gain peace of mind.

The facts of life may justify our reasons for worry. How will I pay my rent? Will my 16-year-old daughter come home tonight? When will we get some good news for a change? What if the lump in my breast is malignant? How will we ever make it now that there's only one income?

Granted, these are situations that are real and faced daily by a large number of people. My family and I are experiencing challenges that are new to us. We are closer and more prayerful than ever. What's important when we feel we have reasons to worry is to have a support system.

Whatever your religious affiliation, seek guidance first. As a follower of Christ,  I go to Him in prayer. If you are an only child, have no friends and are completely isolated, you can know you are not alone by being His follower, too. You can be in a crowd, take Michael Jackson, for example, and still experience loneliness.

If you are a worrywart, I know you know this but I'll say it anyway. Worrying doesn't solve the things about which we worry. Worry, although a verb, it is not an action word. On the contrary, it's an inactive verb with passive connotations. Worry stagnates and causes us to wither. It actually serves no real purpose. Someone said, "at least half of what we worry about never happens anyway."

If you follow Jesus Christ, you will come to understand that worry is a lack of faith. When it surfaces, remember what is found in His word. There's no need to lose precious sleep because of worry. There's no need for you and Him to be awake! Psalm 121 says, "He that keeps Israel neither slumbers not sleep." Get your rest. You're not in control anyway!

That is a crucial statement to help with worry, guilt and regret. We are not in control. Everything we have and are capable of doing is a gift. Our lives are a gift to us, even our children. Feel the sense of responsibility to yourself just as you do for your children. Transfer the thoughts you have for them to compare how our heavenly Father must feel about us. He wants the best for us and worries aren't in the treasure chest.

As Dale Carnegie said, ("How to) Stop Worrying and Start Living." The words alone mean when we worry, we are not truly living. We are going through the motions but not making any waves. Life is about making waves! Ever notice how waves are formed and how they crest and dissipate into the seashore? There's intensity but not tension. There's strength and no mercy. When the water relaxes into the shore, it starts over again.

Worry doesn't give you a chance to start over again. It creates tension, emotional weakness and unhappiness. As Leo Buscaglia said, "Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy." Why worry? Cast all of your cares to the One who cares enough to ask for them. (I Peter 5:7). Don't worry. Relinquish it and be happy!

2009 June Avis Ward of AvisWard.com

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