Today’s Thought: We all have our little ‘pet panics’ that keep us up at night, the scenarios of what will end the world or unfathomably change our lives. They often involve wide-ranging devastation, and include topics such as global warming, economic collapse, killer bees, terrorism, and more. Far too often our present capacity for joy is murdered by the hands of worry over future ‘what ifs.’
It’s typical to have more than one pet panic. These panics lead to spending life moments reading, studying, and discussing as we try to determine how to best survive the coming imagined apocalypse.
It is true. Something could go terribly, terribly wrong. A meteor could hit Earth, leaving it uninhabitable for humans; nuclear war could wipe us out; and indeed, there will likely at some point be another pandemic. Any and all of these things can happen. However, I ask you: If you can’t do much to change these things, is it worth killing off your present to worry about a possible future that may not even come to pass?
I’m not suggesting you live in ignorance (though indeed, it may truly lead to bliss). If you have a concern, assess it, take what action you can to pre-empt or mitigate potential damage, and then let it go. For instance, if you live in a flood zone, consider if the reward of doing so outweighs the risk. If not, move. If so, purchase flood insurance, explore options such as stilts, and make sure you evacuate during inclement weather. Then, by golly, let it go! Once you’ve done all you can, there is no point belly-aching!
There is a simple truth I will share here – most people are far more likely to die from heart disease or car accident than from their favorite pet panics. In fact, stressing over pet panics will raise cortisol and adrenaline levels, further increasing the risk of dying from heart disease, or in a car accident due to distraction. How about that? Just embracing worry over a pet panic may actually kill you. What gorgeous irony!
Something else for you to chew on: Even if you were right, and your pet panics come to pass – you will be at the end, yes? Wouldn’t you rather arrive there knowing you have fully and completely lived, rather than lost your life to worrying over the inevitable end? The end will come, for all of us. We don’t know when, we don’t know how. Make the NOW amazing. This is what you have, the gift of the Ever Present. It is for you to make of it what you will.
For Today: Consider carefully before indulging pet panics. They’ll steal your life away, ’til nary a life moment is left. You could arrive at the end only to discover pet panics never came to pass, but you missed a lifetime of joy worrying what may have been.
Let’s review, because this is important: Indeed, assess circumstances, take action where it makes sense, and then let it go. We cannot control every moment, and we cannot protect ourselves from every circumstance. In fact, the only thing we can truly due is mitigate damage to a small degree, and make darned sure that we live the present moment as fully and joyfull as possible.
Take hold of this moment, and make it amazing!