How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

that it is utterly impossible for any human mind, no matter how brilliant, to think of more than one thing at any given time.

Well, the same thing is true in the field of emotions. We cannot be pepped up and enthusiastic about doing something exciting and feel dragged down by worry at the very same time. One kind of emotion drives out the other.

“Occupational therapy” is the term now used by psychiatry when work is prescribed as though it were a medicine.

Nature also rushes in to fill the vacant mind. With what? Usually with emotions.

George Bernard Shaw was right. He summed it all up when he said: “The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or

George Bernard Shaw was right. He summed it all up when he said: “The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.”

Rule 1: Keep busy. The worried person must lose himself in action, lest be wither in despair.

To break the worry habit, here is Rule 1: Keep busy. The worried person must lose himself in action, lest be wither in despair.

We often face the major disasters of life bravely—and then let the trifles, the “pains in the neck”, get us down.

“Trivialities are at the bottom of most marital unhappiness”;

Why did this stupid mistake have to spoil my whole evening?’ Then I thought—well—why let it?

“And so it is with many petty worries. We dislike them and get into a stew, all because we exaggerate their importance.

often we allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget.

Here we are on this earth, with only a few more decades to live, and we lose many irreplaceable hours brooding over grievances that, in a year’s time, will be forgotten by us and by everybody. No, let us devote our life to worthwhile actions and feelings, to great thoughts, real affections and enduring undertakings. For life is too short to be little.”

Let’s not allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget.

Let’s not allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. Remember “Life is too short to be little.”

The most famous insurance company on earth—Lloyd’s of London—has made countless millions out of the tendency of everybody to worry about things that rarely happen.

‘Relax. Let’s think this out. … What are you really worrying about? Let’s examine the law of averages and see whether or not it is likely to happen.’

silly. I decided then and there to let the law of averages do the worrying for me

“Let’s examine the record.” Let’s ask ourselves: “What are the chances, according to the law of averages, that this event I am worrying about will ever occur?”