If you’re reading this, I am going to go out on a limb and assume that you are human. Congratulations, you are allegedly among the most cognitively active species on the planet! This means that along with the ability to build empires and paint masterpieces, you probably catch the feels every now and then. Ah, feelings. Anger, sadness, frustration. Then there’s your bodily response—tears, angry red skin, a stomach twisting in knots. Your favorite, right?
I’m a worrier. I’ve been a worrier since I was five years old, and if I hadn’t left for school by 7:30, I would cry. (As in, 7:31. “Late” was not my thing.) Maybe worrying isn’t an emotion, but it impacts our mental and physical health the same way.
As I’ve gotten older, I have come to realize that in one way or another, we are all worriers. Everyone worries—and the thing is, we have a tendency to not worry about major dangers we may face, but the most harmless and minute details. Go ahead, challenge me. Tell me you’ve never once worried about something that could easily be fixed, or something that really doesn’t matter. Tell me you’ve never wasted precious time thinking about something that quite simply doesn’t matter. If you can, congratulations. Or you’re lying. (You’re probably lying. Liar, liar, pants on fire.)
When I was in middle school, my best friend became obsessed with her arm hair. Yes, her arm hair. She worried constantly about how it might impact her ability to get dates, how people were judging her for her excessive amount of black arm hair, which looked improperly matched with her pale skin. To be clear, her arm hair is completely normal. Even before bleaching it. She’s human, she has arm hair. It happens. However, this constant concern for something so unimportant took her mind away from better thoughts.
I don’t know much about the science behind human emotion, but I think it’s safe to say that a little joy and positivity and joy every now and then are they key to happiness. The more we worry about the little things, the less we are enjoying our lives.
The worst part is, most of us are guilty of this exact same behavior. Sure, we may be secure with our arm hair. But we might be concerned about our weight, or our skin color, or our ability to jump rope (I cannot jump a rope to save my life and I am extremely insecure about it). I cannot think of a single friend or family member who has never confessed to having a silly concern, which is sad but equally comforting. We are not alone in our worrying, and we each have the ability to remind others worry less.
So, the next time you find yourself worrying about split ends or your messy handwriting, remember that life is meant to be taken with a grain of salt. We do not exist on this Earth to be perfect, so we’d best enjoy our time here without unnecessary stress and worry.
Image Credit: Multi Screen Site, Miracles are Brewing