“Worry is a companion like any other - it wont stay around for long if you dont spend time with it.
When you are so busy with positive, constructive actions that you dont have time to worry, you have already begun to climb the ladder of success…”
This one hit me right between the eyes today, as I’ve been dealing with some underlying stress lately. Nothing major, just some personal feelings and a hint of anxiety here and there.
The advice is spot-on, and its a philosophy I know well and have proven to work in my own life… but sometimes a little timely reminder doesnt hurt 
The message goes on to say:
“This is not to suggest that you should blithely ignore problems. What it does mean is that you should not so internalize problems that you are paralyzed and unable to take constructive action.”
The key phrase in both paragraphs being “constructive action”. Not just action, but constructive action. This means doing things that specifically take you towards your goal, or towards the desired end result.
My life is pretty much on track at the moment. I have a million things to do, but I am getting them done - one at a time. So I really had to stop and think about what it is exactly that is causing my unnecessary stress.
There are no major problems to contend with, but I dont like the idea of worry just hanging around as a welcomed “companion”. And maybe its not even worry, and just that I’m a moody fickle 34 year old woman 
So I picked the book back up this evening and read over the passage again. Nowhere in there does it say that worry is going to disappear overnight, or that you will experience an immediate sensation of blissful happiness.
It simply said: you have already begun to climb the ladder of success… That was enough to resolve my concerns. I know exactly which ladder I’m on, and where I am on that ladder - and that thought alone put me back in the mindset I needed to be in.
The point was also made that we should focus on the goal, instead of focusing on or internalizing the problem. But if you think about it in terms of ‘climbing the ladder of success’, certainly there will be times you feel weary from the climb - or look up and realize how much further you have to go. That’s only natural.
It also reminded me of my driving lessons when I was 16 years old. I was told to look further ahead, and not to focus on the road just in front of me. It was good advice: know what’s coming down the pike, and prepare & adjust as you go…
All of these thoughts consumed my mind in the background through most of the day. What’s bothering me? and Am I worried about something? and If so, what is it?
I decided to look up the word “worry” in the dictionary (dictionary.com, that is). This is how worry is defined:
to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.
In the end, it all seems to be a state of mind. A state of OUR mind. We may not be able to control circumstances and outside influences, but we certainly have control over the state of our own mind.
And after worrying over whether I was worried all day, and finally taking some constructive action to relieve that self-inflicted stress, I came to this conclusion:
Its okay to have a bad day. Its okay to feel the stress you are under, and recognize it for what it is. Its okay to take a break when you need one. But its not okay to “torment” yourself with worries.
If you’re feeling stressed, anxious or worried - grab the nearest piece of paper and jot down what is on your mind. Figure out what is at the root of your current mindset. And then decide what it is going to take to relieve that stress - and do it.
You may not be able to do it all in one day, but just taking constructive action towards it will go a long way towards bettering your mindset and your outlook on life. It worked for me
And on that note, I’m off to finish what I started… Have a great weekend!
Best,
P.S. If you have not yet read Napoleon Hill’s greatest work, you can download it at my site for free: Download Think & Grow Rich - You’ll love it
Tags: stress management, stress relief, managing stress, dealing with stress, worry, anxiety, napoleon hill, positive action plan, think and grow rich
7 responses so far ↓
Jackie // Dec 22, 2007 at 12:53 am
That looks like a Great Read Lynn! I love N.P. I will add it to my list.
Sandy Naidu // Dec 22, 2007 at 5:52 am
Here is my favourite quote about ‘worry’ - “Worry is like a rocking chair—it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”
Sandy
Jeff Jones // Dec 22, 2007 at 10:21 am
Hits home.
If I can get the positive steps I take every day to start producing something monetarily it will help to reinforce the whole process.
For now, I won’t be worrying for worry sake if I can avoid it at all.
Jeff
Lynn Terry // Dec 22, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Great quote, Sandy!
Jeff - you are making great progress, and on a consistent basis. It does take time, and I know you realize that already, but just stick with it persistently and you’ll be surprised how quickly that time passes.
Bethanny // Dec 26, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Like they say, worrying never changed anything. Do what you can to change the things you can change, and try not to dwell on the rest. Most of the time, things don’t turn out as badly as we were afraid they might anyhow.
Ross Cornwell // Dec 27, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Lynn,
I enjoyed reading your blog today, especially your post on worry, stress and constructive action, and I thought that you might be interested to learn that a new edition of Napoleon Hill’s classic book “Think and Grow Rich” has been published.
Its title is “Think and Grow Rich!” (subtitled) “The Original Version, Restored and Revised.” I am the editor/annotator of this new 416-page edition, which is really an homage to Dr. Hill. (For several years I was the editor-in-chief of “Think & Grow Rich Newsletter.”)
What I have done is this: to restore Dr. Hill’s book to its original manuscript content (it was first published in 1937, but was abridged in 1960), annotate it with more than 50 pages of endnotes (most of the persons and events he discusses are generally unknown to readers today), index it thoroughly, add an appendix with a wealth of additional information about Dr. Hill and his work, and revise the book in ways to help remove certain “impediments” to reading the book today (language that today would be considered obsolete, sexist or racist). None of these things had previously been done with TGR.
If you would like to learn a little more about this project, a quick visit to http://www.tgr-restored-revised.com will give you some details. The “Editor’s Foreword” provides more complete information, and the “Testimonials” page will demonstrate how well-received this new book is around the world.
Here is the book’s Amazon.com page…
http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Original-Restored/dp/1593302002/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4747976-2224727?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191524360&sr=1-1
The book is available on all the Amazon websites and most other online sellers (it is now the No. 1 best-selling version of TGR on Amazon), it can be ordered by any bookstore, and it will soon be appearing in bookstores everywhere.
Our edition of TGR! is superior in every way to other versions on the market. It is a trade paperback, not a pocket-size mass market paperback. It is unabridged. It is 416 pages versus 230+ (depending on the edition). It looks better, feels better, reads better than any other version. It is fast becoming the “version of choice” among Napoleon Hill devotees and other students of success and high achievement.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Ross Cornwell, Editor
Lynn Terry // Dec 27, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Thank you Ross - I’ll check that out
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