Working With Worry

A friend writes:

"I don’t know about you, but I can get pulled in pretty easily sometimes by thoughts masquerading as Reality.  The feelings they generate can be so intense, so compelling, that, without realizing it, I’m caught up in knowing that that this is how it is and how it ever shall be.

"I might be having a good day, feeling secure in the abundance that surrounds us. Then the television starts yammering about the economy.  Except it’s not really talking about the economy, it’s talking about Drama. If I stepped back and thought about it, I’d realize, “Oh, this is supposed to get me worked up and sucked in by god-awful stories until the commercials come on.” But instead, I watch, I get anxious, I begin to generate images of going under. I won’t be able to pay my bills. There will be no one to help me.  I’ll become a bag lady.  And so on.

"One problem here is that my bag lady meditation doesn’t lead to constructive action to assist real-life homeless people, or people without health insurance, or people who’ve lost their jobs and are putting their living expenses on credit cards. That is perhaps the biggest problem with cultivating the belief that there will not be enough for me: it cuts me off from the very people I could be working with to create better situations for all of us.

"I ran across a newspaper article that gave me some realistic, exciting ideas about how we can positively impact the economic crisis. It spoke about everyday people volunteering their time and talents to help unemployed folks find jobs. I need to be involved with efforts like that for my mental health.  I need reminders that we aren’t alone, and that people team up together all the time and solve substantial problems. I also need to enjoy my volunteer activities, or else I won’t keep up with them.  It’s fun to work with others, much more fun than sitting by myself watching re-runs of my bag lady movies."