Phil. 4:6

I worry about what people think of me. I worry about people misinterrpreting things I've said. I worry about offending others. I worry about why others offend me. I worry that we'll never live close to family again. I worry about my girls' watching too much TV. I worry that I don't cook enough with my children. I worry that my girls won't be close as they get older. I worry about my girls' everything! I worry about what the future holds for our family. I worry about money. I worry about health problems I don't have. I worry about getting older. I worry about our marriage (BTW, we're great! But that doesn't mean I don't still worry about it!) I worry that we'll have to retire to Phenix City because our stupid house will never sell.

I worry.

Alot.

In high school, I worried that I'd become an old maid. That worry ended when I married at age 21. Unfortunately, most of my worries don't go away. They occasionally just take a short pause for awhile while I sleep. So, I just read a quote about worry that bothers me. Perhaps you could say it makes me worry that I'm worrying too much.

"Worry is a focus on fear, which leads to tension, anxiety, anger, and exhaustion."

Focus on fear. Hmmm... I fear that people will dislike me. I fear that something bad will happen to myself and/or my family. Ok, I agree that worry focuses on fear.

Does that lead to tension, anxiety, anger, and exhaustion? I'm not too sure of the difference between tension and anxiety, but I would agree wholeheartedly that I'm prone to anxiousness. I would also agree that the anxiety I feel leads to anger and then exhaustion... mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion!

Now, what to do about it...

Any suggestions?

I could talk to a therapist (don't think Matt hasn't made that suggestion before!)

I could write my worries down. Theoretically, I believe this is supposed to make them seem a little less daunting. I think it would just make me worry more.

What I'm going to do is take a note from other blogs I've seen. Let's call it a belated New Year's Resolution if you will. I'm going to list 1,000 blessings. I'm going to write NO LESS than 10 blessings a week for however long it takes me to reach 1,000. Instead of focusing on the negative like I'm so prone to do, I'm going to take a few moments a week to publicly proclaim the positive!

Here we go... my blessings (in no particular order!)
1) seeing Julia's look of pride when she does something considered "big"
2) lots of Audrey hugs and kisses at bedtime
3) a husband who does all our family's ironing
4) "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns to enjoy
5) time alone to hit the treadmill
6) gift cards for macys.com
7) a freezer, refrigerator, and pantry that are STUFFED FULL
8) electric blanket
9) little girls that still crawl in the bed at some point every night for comfort and snuggles
10) a king size bed