How to banish worry? - Tips-1 Catch your thoughts

During my formative years I used to be 'moody' - most of the time brooding over what happened in the past or worrying about unborn future. If everything goes well, I will discover reasons to be unhappy. One could see me either in an upset situation or getting ready to upset. Retrospectively I feel that I have thrown a precious part of my life spending on a futile moods.

During my mid thirties when I developed blood pressure, the doctor who checked my BP consecutively for a week which they do normally before confirming that One is hypertensive. Finally he wrote a prescription which was not a medicine but the name of a book "How to stop worrying & start living" authored by Dale Carnegie. I was frustrated by his action because I expected a medicine and not a book. I never had a habit of reading and hence it was not of much use to control my BP. The doctor's rationale was my BP was more due to my worrying habit than secondary reasons.

However I kept the prescription in my valet. After six months I picked up that book from an exhibition and reluctantly started reading. Later the learning from the book transformed my life. I have gifted this book to at least 100 people.

Later I was impressed with a placard that was carrying a quote which read as "Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due". I pasted this placard in my bedroom and read every day when I get up from bed in the morning.

The next challenge was to learn how do I expel a worrying thought from my mind. This needs a skill of knowing my mind all the time. Later I acquired this skill of watching my mind as a witness by practicing Meditation. This technique was preached by Lord Buddha which is easily said than done.

Today I know what thought is being processed in my mind at any point in time. I also learned from my Guru that 'I am not the mind, and it is an instrument creator bestowed on me as hand and leg'. Knowing the mind empowered me to manage my mind. When I know my mind is engaged in a worry thought, I just say 'Next' as doctors call their next patient. Immediately my mind drops that invalidating thought.

If you wish to master over your worrying habit you need to learn how to read your mind which is possible only through meditation.

Jai Gurudeva
Love you all
With whole of your heart
NC