by John Raye

Without question, worry is the world’s greatest barrier to success and individual achievement. It sends more people to the hospital, to prison, to the drug store, and to mental institutions than anything else.

It is the chief cause of all mental and physical sickness. Worry is the termite of the human mind. More than anything else, excessive worry messes with the spirit, destroys enthusiasm, stonewalls initiative, and contaminates the body’s metabolism. Unrelenting worry creates toxicity in the body, a breeding ground for all manner of decay and disease.

It has been said that, “We bring about what we most often think about!”  This great truth is a vivid reminder of the famous James Allen quote:

               “A man is made or unmade by his thoughts. You

                 are today, where your thoughts have brought you. You

                 will be tomorrow what you are today!”

This is a celebrated truth that bears repeating. The best way to stop yourself from worrying so much is to monitor and control your thoughts. Feed into your mind only the things you want—delete and eliminate the things you do not want.  Only you can do this.

Years ago, I nearly lost my mind when I lost my job, my home, my car, my life savings, my good credit and later, my good health to cancer.  It took a while, but eventually I overcame such problems by overhauling and re-engineering my mind.

To lose your job, house, and money is one thing. But to lose your good health is everything! Nothing is more valuable, critical, or necessary than good health.  These days, I do not allow my mind to just roam or wander about, I keep it on a short leash. I am no longer a worry wart!  I am free of this burden, thank God!

Furthermore, I realize that I am the sum total of my thoughts. I know that persistent fear and worry will create more of the same. My future, I now declare, is not determined by my past, but more so by the thoughts stored or hidden in my mind. Therefore, I jealously guard, monitor, and control my thoughts.

Already, we live in a future ingrained with promise and possibility. So what we think and do today determines what we get tomorrow.  Persistent worry about your future will not make it bigger, better, or brighter. It will just make it worse.

Recently, a publication described an American society where 50% of all jobs will disappear within the next 20 years because of technology. This revelation caused some people, but thankfully not me, to worry about their future.

Already, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest employer has announced the pending closure of some 200 stores. If you have visited a Wal-Mart lately, you have probably seen such technological innovations as self-checkout stations that were once staffed by human hands, but no more! Also, those Detroit-built, driver-less cars are now a pending reality!

Yes, technology is the order of the day and change, like the turning of the leaves, is an inevitable part of our lives. Still, there is no reason to allow prolonged fear, doubt, or worry to build a bird nest in your mind.Your future is yours to make or break! It is your call—and your call alone!

If you know who you are, and most especially, whose you are, your future is already assured. You were born for a purpose… born to do something special, great, and unique; in fact, you were born to do something so special, so great, and so unique that it will not get done, unless you do it!  Now, I do not know if you understand it… but this is your assignment!

John Raye is a life-health coach and ten-year cancer champion who lives and writes in Kernersville, NC.