Stop Worrying About the Future
Worry and the stress it causes is the perhaps the biggest cause for our suffering and most damaging to our mental peace and emotional tranquility. The worst part about worrying about the future is that it serves very little purpose. It is basically the mind spinning and creating negative thoughts and negative emotions, which unchecked can wreck havoc on our health and wellbeing. So how can we stop worrying once and for all…. forever?
Although there are different personality types, worry is a part of most everyone’s lives, but for the anxious, nervous personality type it can be crippling. To end worrying one needs to first understand the fundamental root cause, then the solution presents itself.
Basically the mind worries because it is seeking security. It’s the uncertainty of what might happen in the future that leads to worry. Will I get fired from my job, will my relationship work, will my kids do well in school, will I lose weight, will I get sick, etc, etc, etc. The future is unknown and there are innumerable things to worry about, and the problem is that even as something gets resolved, a new issue appears and you are then off and worrying again about it. It is never-ending.
THE ONE WORD TO END WORRYING
So what can be done about this endless cycle of worrying and spinning of negative thoughts and emotions? First, you have to realize that there is no such thing as psychological self security. It is simply not achievable. It does not exist. You do not know the future and the future is forever unknown. So you cannot predict it or hope for it to manifest in a particular way. Does that mean you are resigned to worry and suffer endlessly? No, not if you also realize the following…
The one word which will end worry forever is Trust. Not trust in a savior, or guru, or some scripture, idol, messiah, no. Just trust. Trust, if anything you can say, Trust Life. Trust the Universe, but really you have to just Trust. If you can invoke this Trust in yourself, then worry will melt away. Worry with end completely, as you are now living in Trust.
The 2 Levels of Trust
Now an interesting aspect of Trust is that it can manifest in 2 levels. There is ordinary Trust and there is Absolute Trust.
Ordinary Trust to Combat Worrying:
Ordinary trust is trust which comes from intellectual understanding and awareness. In other words you understand that the future cannot be controlled and that it is best to go with the flow and accept that which life provides. Although it is extra ordinary to be able to trust in this way, this is still ordinary trust.
So can ordinary trust help melt away worry? Absolutely. Trust is one of those rare phenomena which can be effective even when just understood mentally. Usually a much deeper experience and realization is needed for transformation to take place, but in the case of trust, even just understanding it will be very helpful.
So work towards that. Understand the value of trust and wield that understanding like a sword to cut away worrisome thoughts when they start to emerge. You will soon find worry falling away and life opening up. You will learn to live in the present and leave the future to the Divine.
Absolute Trust to End the Worrying Mind:
So what is Absolute Trust then? Absolute trust is a deep and actual state which one enters into upon experiencing trust directly from the Source. This is best described as a mystical experience where assurance and complete security are being directly experienced as a benediction. It is emanating from the source and being broadcast directly to you. Of course, when being blessed in this way, there is no question of worry having any opportunity to take shape.
This experience of Trust and Total Non-Causal Security from the Source is not something that can be willed. It comes as a by-product of a meditative life.
Conclusion – How to Stop Worrying About the Future:
So to stop endless worrying and concern about what will happen in the future, at minimum develop Ordinary Trust. If on your way, the Universe gifts you with an experience of Absolute Trust, then worry will never again be a worry :-).
Here is a great article on how to stop negative thinking with 10 practical techniques which work wonders.
