Was that a necessary thought?

Or just another meddling worry?

Faced with a situation that requires us to respond, we usually do one of two things. We put on our thinking cap, analyze the situation, and find a solution.

Or we worry, a negative response. We go over and over things that might happen, which makes us anxious. We find ourselves fixating on the negative what-ifs that keep circling around our heads. Perhaps we blame ourselves for having made a serious mistake and worry about possible outcomes. Perhaps we fear what might happen if things go against us in tomorrow’s meeting at work. Worrying involves anxiety and unhappiness.

Let’s get back to thinking—the more positive, creative process. Thinking can fix problems; worrying increases them. Understanding this, the next time you notice mental agitation or sense a feeling of unease, check to see whether you might have slipped over the thin line between thinking and worrying.

Procrastination is stagnation. It’s also . . .

It’s all in how you look at it:

afflictions or appreciation.

“Have you noticed the water smelling funny?” the concerned visitor asked his host.

Smiling, she explained, “Yes, after we get a good rain, the water always smells funny for a few days. The new water rushing into the rainwater tank stirs up the water already in it. So the bad smell means the tank got a needed restock of water.”

With that new information, what had seemed like something troubling was actually good news.

When we do not have all the information we need to see something clearly, we can quickly leap to the wrong conclusion. And become upset at what we just landed on. In this instance, the water smelled unpleasant, but when the visitor learned what had happened, he was no longer bothered by the strange odor. Knowing the severity of the area’s water shortage, he knew the refilled water tank was a welcome relief.

It’s a question of how we view things.

Is it an affliction?

Or actually something to be appreciated.