Years ago I was looking through some family pictures that included a beach trip. As I looked at the happy pictures I found myself wishing for those good old days when I didn't have the stress I do now. But, then I checked the date of those pictures and thought of some of the stuff going on in that year. Phases kids were going in and out of. Challenges at the store. Uncertainty about some future situation. Sitting there years later looking at those pictures I realized all those things I was stressing over ended up OK. Maybe not perfect. Maybe not all to my liking. But, none of those stresses I had back in those images carried over to that day I was looking at the pictures. So what?
I decided to start writing down all the stresses I had that day. And then I did it again the next day. I didn't do it every day but I did it periodically over a couple years. Then I'd go back and read what my stress was a few months ago or last year. Almost all my daily stress was over stuff that either worked itself out or "magically" disappeared.
This taught me something. Now, when I am anxious about something, I create an image (photograph) of me at an event that I know is coming in the next 3-6 months and I ask myself if that future Tony will still be worried about whatever is bothering me that day.
A couple years ago, we had a situation at the store that ended up making its way onto Facebook with some misinformation being shared about myself and our team. Customers were calling. Friends were calling. "Is it true?!" It wasn't but its not easy to control the conversation on social media. I had done what I could and CFA Inc was monitoring and advising.
A couple days after this started we took our girls to Winshape Camp in N Georgia and Kaylyn and I were staying in a mtn cabin near the camp. I remember settling down and thinking "I wish I could relax out here and not have this FB thing going on". Then I remembered the lesson from above.
I looked at the calendar and found an event a few months out. Martinsville Nascar Race. I placed myself at that race, with Riley sitting beside my brother and dad, watching the race. Would that Tony be worrying about this FB stuff on the drive up to Martinsville? Probably not. So, why should this Tony sitting in the cabin in the mountains?
Guess what? Not only was that Tony at Martinsville not worried about it but the Tony in the cabin had pretty much forgotten about it within a week or two of then.
Got something that won't let you sleep? Have you done what you can? Find an event 3-6 months from now that you'll be at and ask if that YOU will be worried about this? Then follow their lead.
Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 10:29-31
