Feeling uncertain about the future and muddled up with the present…
I have quite often been there.
Worrying about what is going to happen next…
The prospect of not knowing if something good or bad will happen to me in the near future produces so much stress and discomfort.
Now the philosophical question comes, how to deal with it?
The number one thing that I have realised is that most of us worry ourselves with things that are most likely never going to happen, or basically that our worst fears will rarely ever come true. There are sure some situations that we think could adversely affect our lives, but usually even those arenβt life shattering. So we should ask ourselves what is the worst that could happen. Letβs take an example. Imagine that you are in a class of people. Look at the people around you and figure out what is the worst thatβs happened to them. There will be things like this person got low marks in a test, or that person lost an important match.Β Generally speaking, there wonβt be a person who has been kidnapped, or a person who has been diagnosed with a serious disease, or a person with a severe injury. For most of us, most of the time, lifeβs challenges are actually the small little things, which would hardly be relevant a decade from now. So after figuring all that out, drop the topic!
There would also be times where there is really nothing you can do about the future. I mean you can only do what you can today, and if there is nothing you can do about it, you are better off just going for a jog or taking a nap than worrying about things that are not even in your hands. There is actually a theory known as the circle of concern and the circle of influence. Letting go of things that are outside your circle of influence, and only focusing on things that you can control. For example, you canβt exactly control the traffic in Mumbai! But you can very well control your own behaviour and actions.
So for items you can control (things inside your circle of influence) , turn worries into work. For situations where you know for sure that you probably wonβt achieve what you want to, there is no point in fearing about it. And I realised that working on it is the best antidote to worrying about it. Trying to make a better future by working on getting positive outcome for next time. This step takes a lot of courage to accept and do what you can, with what you have, and more importantly, believe you can face your fears to make a better future.
All that said, there will realistically be situations where your brain just refuses to be so logical and you feel that restlessness about what is going to happen. And that is where our dear old friend meditation comes in …
Meditation helps to stabilise us in the face of fear to help us understand it more clearly. With breathing and meditation, we can actually understand ourselves, our emotions and our fears, dig deeper into our thoughts and feelings.
So fear is a choice, you spend time worrying about it or you spend time understanding and getting over them…the choice is ours. π
– Saania Saxena
Wow! Loved the complete blog and a circle of control function and which is not under control! Great way to present the points via diagram, truly appreciated! Keep blogging friend πβ€οΈ
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Glad you did! Please keep visiting!
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My pleasure always dear
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Hi,
Nice to meet you here. Your surname brought back happy memories of my nursing days in u.k. I worked for 2 years on a long stay geriatric ward in n.h.s (donβt exist now since advent of private nursing homes) .
The small hospital was like a big happy family and I like to think our patients were treated with the greatest respect and tender loving care.
One of the consultants was called Dr Nayak and did his ward round on Fridays, a true gentleman.
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Wow! That’s amazing πI am happy that k brought smiles in your face! I am honored my friend π Have a great New year ahead ππ°πΆππΏπΏπππΆππππΆππΆπ°π°π²πΏππ°πππ°π°π²π°π°πΆππππππΆπΆππΆπΆπΆπππΆππΆπ°π°ππ°ππ°πππ°π°πΆπππ°ππ°ππ²ππ°ππ² cheers! May your all wishes fulfil in the year 2019…
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Yours too Ravindran& love the icons πππ»
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Wow! It’s not even funny with how much I stress on a daily basis and this just opened my eyes to how stress can take over your life. Thanks for reminding me not to stress about the little things and to look at the bigger picture! Btw, your writing is amazing!
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Hmm. Might there not be an intermediae circle of some sort… things we have potential influence upon? (If we will it.) π
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Superb! I am a firm believer in this! Thank you for such an insightful share! β€οΈ
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Wow my lil princes keep it up your sprit…it’s awesome
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Hi Shabnam,
Definite food for thought. Yet another surname that reminds me of the lovely doctors I worked with when I was a nurse, midwife and Health Visitor in the n.h.s – happy days
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Hi Saania,
Quite relevant during Christmas period here. Everyone gone mad! Will copy the circles in my journal, thanks π
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My pleasure π thank-you so much for visiting my site!
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Definitely gone mad and family friend of ours and mumβs passed away the week before Christmas. Funeral delayed due to holidays. Need to revisit the circle also.
Happy new tea to you & yours πΌ
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Hi Saania,
Long time and hope all is well with you and your family. All well here so far π during this difficult period.
A like by Olivia on one of my comments has caused me to return to this post which is all the more relevant during these times.
I did copy the circles in my journal and could I please have your permission to reblog this post?
I have clicked on to Oliviaβs link but it just brings up a gravitational with no website link. Do you know the name of her site?
Take care πβ€οΈπ
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Hello Margaret,
Iβm doing well and Iβm glad to hear that all is well by you. Tough times indeed!
Olivia…hmm Iβll have to see.
Sure, go ahead with the re-blog, thank you so much!
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Well said, my Dear Saania! ‘Fear is a choice,’ as are Many things. Congratulations on Your post, Wish You All the Very Best, and Hearty Regards. π
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Thank-you for your kind response as always! It Keeps me motivated π
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Love and Blessings, my Dear. π
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wonderful post
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Hey there,
Congratulations, I have nominated you for βThe Sunshine Blogger Awardβ. For more information, please checkout my post β
https://daradgamer.wordpress.com/2018/12/17/the-sunshine-blogger-award-2/
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Penned well !!
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Thank -you! And Merry Christmas! π
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I’ve liked all your posts! Congratulations! Nice blog!
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I find the adage..”this too will pass” really helpful. If I can say it and easily believe it then its usually because my concern is something very transient and comparatively minor. Of course the phrase could apply to everything, but it helps me put things in perspective, particularly when i realise that in a week my concern will be irrelevant…and allows me to, not sweat the small stuff..π
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Wow! This is quite useful
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A good read.
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Love every sentence especially circle of concern and circle of influence.Learnt a lot Thank you.
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You. Are. A. Genius. πβ¨π«
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I have nominated your for Mystery Blogger Award 2018.
Do check and looking forward for your responses.
http://mesmotsbysazz.com/2019/01/01/the-mystery-blogger-award-2/
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Brilliantly put into words! I only recently came to this realization and it truly has made such a great difference. We can’t let worries of what’s not in our control consume us and drag us into a pit of worry & despair. It feels so much better to take action with what I can and to put anything I cannot on the back burner.
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Thatβs so true! Thank-you so much for your meaningful comment!
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I appreciate your balanced prospective. The chart was a nice touch in showing how we can organize our thoughts. It reminds me of this scripture at Mathew 6:27 βWho of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span?β
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Absolutely true. Loved the way you explained it
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Keep dropping this knowledge on us Saania! Very much appreciated ππ½β₯οΈ
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Glad you enjoy my posts! Youβre so kind π
Please keep visiting! π₯°
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Will do!!
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My philosophy?
I like to live one day in the future.
That way Iβll know where Iβm really coming from!
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Hmm interesting π
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I would like to move by time machine to see how the future and the past like200years ago
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Me too!
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hi saania…. i like the way you explain things….. with diagrams and all that….have you ever thought of being a lecturer?? Give it a thought dear!!!!
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Great post and certainly true.
Iβm a firm believer in letting things outside my control alone and just focus on what I can control.
Yoga helps that message become very clear. Thanks for the insight.
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This i was talking about, that we can’t expect anything from the future or control us, but we still planing future, but we dont do anything to have the future what we would love to haveβ€οΈ
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I love this! You are 100% right. We have the option to control, understand, and let go of our fears, or we can continue to dwell on them. Though dwelling on then does nothing but cause unnecessary worry and stress. Which, can lead to a number of physical problems as well (like stomach ulcers). Learning to control fear, especially through meditation, is such a powerful tool to help better one’s future. You are very wise, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
INDEED!
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Nice explanation,, fun with philosophy
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Thank you!
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Reblogged this on INSPIRE and commented:
Hi Saania
Thanks for all the likes and have a great weekend
craig
Keep writing and inspiring
PS
I just realised my days are determined and lead down paths from the feedback by my readers and followers around the world, like you. So thanks for the input.
All your comments and feedback encourage (greatly), uplift and even inspire me to follow “this road less travelled”.
I love my days “interacting with you’ guys and gals’ (and anything else in these PC * days-very)”
“sleepy-head and totally non PC” craig
“the world’s fourth worst writerβ
see
https://johnsphotopics.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/why-im-only-the-worlds-fourth-worst-writer/
and
https://craigsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/why-im-only-the-worlds-fourth-worst-writer-3/
* and definitely NOT a police constable)
Still
“Driven to uplift, encourage and (perhaps even) inspire”
https://craigsquotes.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/path-emerson.jpg?w=605&h=454
…”of chaos” (in the “real world”, so says “the nurse”)
https://craigsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/do-not-go-where-the-path-may-lead-go-instead-where-there-is-no-path-and-leave-a-trail-6/
βTogether, one mind, one life (one small step at a time), letβs see how many people (and lives) we can encourage, impact, empower, enrich, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentialsβ¦and strive for and perhaps one sunny day even achieve their wildest dreams.
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Thank-you for the re-blog! Itβs a pleasure π§π»ββοΈ
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we have some fun along the journey. I’d never have thought my crazy life would be now doing what I’m doing
have fun and keep writing and inspiring the youth of today + many others, Saania
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Reblogged this on worldtraveller70.
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Yes this is our choice to woorry or not to worry about fear.
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Yes!
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Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.
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Well said!
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Thank you so much!
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Thank you got your prompt reply and glad to hear all is well with you.
I woke early here in England 3.30 a.m , early hours sometimes allows me time to catch up with blogging and sometimes a time of creativity. I will have a nap later today.
Your post has helped me to revisit Ravindra Nayakβs blog which I didnβt get chance to look at when commenting here, thank you.
Please donβt worry about checking Oliviaβs blog as all these blog hitches I feel have potential to take a person off course and perhaps waste valuable, quality time.
Thank you for allowing me to reblog your post.
Take care β€οΈ
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Reblogged this on Impossible becomes possible and commented:
Saania from Saania Sparkle has given me permission to reblog this post which I have frequently revisited since her first posting in 2018.
Thank you Saania for sharing your wise words which gain particular significance at this troubled time in World history.
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