Everyone worries. Children worry about whether they will be punished by their parents for stealing a cookie, or throwing tantrum. Students worry about exams, relationships, friendships, their future. Working adults worry about whether they are pleasing their bosses, whether they are earning more than their peers, whether they are going to settle down and start a family. Parents worry about their children. Older adults worry about their grandchildren, their end of life, their peers, their spiritual health. No matter where we are, we worry over many things.
Sometimes worrying is like a poison that seeps deep into our lives. Why is this so? We worry because we want things to go our way, and are afraid that things may go unexpectedly. We plan so much ahead that we forget to look at the present step. When we worry about whether we will argue with our bosses or our partners over something, we forget that the argument has not happened yet! We think that it will happen and start worrying about it. We start making plans in case something bad happens. "Oh dear, what if I get scolded for doing this? I have to solve this problem now". "What if he doesn't like girls who eat a lot? I should eat one mouth full only". "What if she doesn't like the way I talk? I should talk differently".
So many "what if" makes us worry over something we imagine will happen. Because of that, we are living in an illusion that we created for ourselves. Like a dream or a world that never existed at all! Because of that, we are in constant dissonance with reality. We will form a habit of worrying over trivial matters over a period of time. This will harm our mental health if we keep up this habit. Therefore, it is like a poison that silently seep into our lives without us knowing. When we find out that it is bad for us, it will be difficult to change.
We have to understand that what we worry about has never happened yet! It may never happen at all. Things change according to the conditions given to it. Like a road map, you can make a turn when you see the road ahead is closed. Although you have a direction to your destination, you make changes according to the road situation as you travel. If you make plans for every traffic incident every few miles or kilometers, your map will be messy, and you may not end up going anywhere. Sometimes we cannot control some factors, so we should not take many things to heart. Live honestly in the present. If we can do that and make decisions based on the conditions at that time, what is there to worry about later?