DOUBLE TIP DAY

My first tip today is get a mantra.

Many of the things I worry about, I have little or no control over.  For instance, what if the power goes off while I’m cooking Thanksgiving dinner?

Then there’s my preoccupation with how I’ll keep my brain busy and distracted if I’m ever
captured by terrorists and put in isolation.  I heard about a man who built an entire house in his mind during several years in captivity. After his release he returned home and built that exact house!

I could never do that.  But, when I catch myself mired in burdensome musings, I use a mantra like, I’m the one in control here.  I can simply say toodle—oo to this worry, this nag that is trying to make me its life partner. For a visual accompaniment, I imagine putting my worry inside a helium balloon and sending it off to the great beyond.

By the way, it’s a bad idea to actually perform the balloon sendoff, since latex kills birds and other living things that may try to swallow it.

Here’s the second tip for Double Tip Day. Picture the opposite of your worry occurring.

The power won’t go off while I’m cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  I’ll live my entire life without being captured by terrorists.

What are your tips?  I’d love to hear how you stand up to your worries.