Letting Things Go

The tennis ball flew up in the air and then gradually fell towards me. If I hit the ball just right, it would be an easy put away at the net. I knew I could do it. I just knew it!

“I got it!” I yelled to my tennis partner.

Before I knew it, I had hit the ball. In the net. “Ugh!” I shrieked with disgust.

While I hit some pretty amazing shots during my match this past weekend (if I don’t say so myself), I can’t seem to concentrate on the fact that I played well. Instead, I’m too focused on the few shots that I missed that might have cost us the match and not able to let it go.

But isn’t that what many people tend to do at times? Instead of focusing on the good things in life, we dwell on the things that might have cost us something. Like, maybe you got behind an incredibly slow person on the way to work, and that person caused you to be in a bad mood the rest of the day because you were late. Or maybe you sat next to an annoying person in the movie theater and weren’t able to enjoy the film. Maybe you even bought the latest gadget and then found it cheaper somewhere else.

I think my inability to cease dwelling on such things that, in the end, aren’t that important, contributes to my worrying. Yes, I lost a tennis match, and there were some shots that I should have made. So what? It was a beautiful day, and I got some exercise while playing well. I should feel good about that and move on. There’s more to life than a tennis match anyway, right?

Before a match a couple of weeks ago, my tennis partner suggested that we just play our game and not worry about whether we won or lost. Throughout the match, this strategy seemed to be working. I was playing well and having fun and when we lost the match, I walked away without any worries or regrets.

I think I need to start thinking of life as a tennis match. In tennis, if you think too much about how you’re going to hit the ball and where you are going to place it, you tend to mess up. When you stop over thinking and just play your game, though, you win more points.

So maybe if I just stop analyzing everything (Why didn’t I do that? Why did I say that? What does that mean?) and just let things go, my worrying will begin to decrease. Like tennis, this will take some practice...

Copyright © 2011

Learning When Not To Worry

Concentrate on what you’re going to eat for your next meal.

Believe it or not, but this recent advice may just help to reduce the frequent worrying in my life. How, you ask? Well, instead of worrying about big things such as tornadoes, earthquakes, blood clots, etc., I should concentrate on insignificant things. Here are a few examples of questions I should ponder more often: What should I eat for dinner? Should I really buy those cute pair of shoes? Will “The Office” be good without Michael Scott?

I know it may sound silly to concentrate on unimportant issues in life, but if I focus my attention on smaller day-to-day happenings, the bigger ones that shouldn’t even be on my radar in the first place - unless it is in fact a tornado - may fade into the background. And fewer bigger worries equals less stress.

Since I was given this advice a few days ago, I’ve been trying to practice it. Surprisingly, it seemed to be working - until today. After working out this morning, my lower back began hurting. Did I think it was caused by carrying a heavy load of groceries yesterday? Or that I might have pulled something while working out? Of course not! If you have lower back pain, it must mean you have kidney problems!

Then, I remembered my new technique: think about insignificant issues. It’s difficult, though, trying to think of something else when there is pain telling your mind that, yes, there is something wrong.

While my back is still hurting (it hurts only when I move, which I find a little comforting because it is probably a pulled muscle), I have something else to worry about now. The threat of tornadoes. As I sit here writing this, a line of storms is moving this way. I know I said I would try to watch my stress levels more than the radar, but it’s so difficult not to watch where the red and yellow clumps are heading. Better safe than sorry, right?

That said, I actually feel quit calm right now despite the pending doom, I mean, storms. I have a book I can read to keep my mind on other things. I’m also trying to win a game of Words With Friends. And, of course, I have my husband, who knows how to make me laugh.

Now, what should my husband and I eat for dinner tomorrow?












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