I'm single and the holidays can be lonely. So several years ago I decided to start taking great trips during those holidays. It's a slow time business-wise, so it's been a fantastic solution. I expand my horizons, don't miss out on lots of business opportunities, and don't sit around feeling sorry for myself.
This year I was seriously considering going to Greece. I bought several books on Greece, contacted several companies that do tours of Greece, and thought it might be the location for this year. But the economy took a nose dive and I decided it would be wiser to pay off my mortgage rather than take an extravagant vacation.
Of course, as the holidays approach I've been wondering if maybe I made the wrong choice, if I shouldn't have played it safe. Can you say, "Whew?"
As many of you know, Greece is in a horrible state right now. It's being torn apart by rioters. Obviously I would have had to cancel my trip or if somehow I had gotten caught in this mess, there's no telling what could have happened. It certainly wouldn't be the Greece I wanted to visit.
We don't have a crystal ball, we can't know the future. Sometimes something seems bad (this recession) but maybe you will also realize there's some aspect of it that's for the best. Maybe we'll reassess what's important to us. Maybe we'll treat our customers like they are worth their weight in gold (which we sometimes forget when times are good). Maybe we'll operate more efficiently. Maybe some companies will fail that really needed to. Maybe you'll be let go from a job you really hated and find work you really love. Maybe someone leaves you, only to free you up to meet the person of your dreams! We can't see the future and what the end result will be. So hang in there!
How to stop worrying about the future:
1.) Assume if you do the best you can things will work out in the long run. It might be the very long run, but they WILL work out.
2.) Don't confuse short term pleasure (eating a whole pizza) with long term happiness (being healthy). Sometimes things are awful in the short term, but pay off big time down the road.
3.) Tell yourself, "When the going gets tough, I get going." Action obliterates fear and worry.
4.) Stop imagining the worst. If you insist on predicting the future, why not assume the best?
5.) Stop beating yourself up over the past. It is over - you did the best you could with the information you had at the time.
6.) Realize that when people try to predict the future they are usually wrong (and we think they are weirdoes - gypsies, astrologers, palm readers and weathermen come to mind.)
7.) Quote Nietzsche - it if doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger! Bring it, Life! The harder it is, the stronger we will be!
8.) Remind yourself that most of the things you worry about never happen and that worrying doesn't do a damn thing about them anyway.
Bottom line - you never know what the future holds. Something that seems bad today could end up to be something good tomorrow. You might meet the love of your life at the second job you had to take to make extra money. The Universe works in mysterious ways. Your only job is to keep showing up and staying open to hope.
