Battling the WHAT IF Monster

The WHAT IF monster--does he plague you? Does he bring worries to your mind that only make your problems worse? If so, be warned. And read on.

I have a confession to make. I worry. A lot. Too much. I've got a nasty stomach ulcer to prove it. I know I shouldn't worry so much, but sometimes my mind gets swept away with my worries, and I can't concentrate on anything but the WHAT IF's. For example, "What if I can't find a good school for my kids?" "What if my husband works longer hours?" "What if I can't publish my book?" "What if my car breaks down?" "What if I can't pay my bills?" "What if my kids get sick?" "What if I'm a bad mom?" "What if I'm not thin enough?" "What if another hurricane comes...?"
You get the picture. Some of my what if's are based on actual problems. Some of them are legitimate concerns. But do I really need to worry about them? What can worrying do except make my stomach ulcer hurt more?
So I've decided to shut up my WHAT IF monster. If a thought comes into my head that starts with a WHAT IF--I reverse it. For example, "What if I can't sell my books?"
Instead I reverse the thought. "What if I can sell my books?"
Or, "What if my husband works really long hours?" Switched around, "What if my husband doesn't work long hours?"
The truth is, I don't know what the future holds. It may be really awful or it may turn out just fine. I've faced trials and challenges before. I'm still here. I'm still happy. Even if the worst outcome happens, I'll deal with it just like I've always done in the past.
Will I be able to never worry again? Doubtful. But at least I'm confronting a weakness and trying to improve. And I'm not going to worry about it!
Do you have a WHAT IF monster lurking in your brain? If so, how do you overcome your worries?

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