The Use of Worry

“Worrying doesn’t get you anywhere.” Or so they say, “they” being the anonymous group of trolls in my head that churns out stuff like that.

But worry does have a use. It urges me to take action. Because of worry, I do things today that I’d ordinarily put off to tomorrow.

I admit, worry makes today (and all preceding time before the event of which I am worried about) potentially nightmarish — the anxiety I feel in the grips of persistent worry isn’t particularly pleasant. But that might be a small price to pay in being as prepared as I can be in anticipation of that worrisome event.

The more I prepare, the less worried I get; till I know that I can prepare no more. That’s when worry ceases to be useful, and itself becomes a cause for concern.