Self Help – How to Cure Worry

HOW TO CURE WORRY

Musings

By

VIKRAM KARVE

This happened 42 years ago in the year 1974.

I was in the 3^rd year of my 5 year B. Tech. course in Engineering.

Suddenly – I was faced with a worrying situation of instability and financial insecurity.

I felt extremely insecure.

I was overwhelmed with worry.

Seeing my melancholic state – a classmate who lived in the adjoining hostel room gave me a book: 

HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING by DALE CARNEGIE

“I have got this book for you – do read it – I am sure it will do you good...” my friend said.

My friend was right.

The simple tips in the book – easy to understand and implement – helped me immensely to mitigate worry.

I am sure you have read this famous self-help book.

42 years have passed since 1974 – but – I still have the copy of the book presented to me by my hostel-mate friend.

And – from time to time – I still pull it out of the bookshelves whenever I feel depressed or I start worrying.

Of the numerous tips given in the book – I found three tips very useful to alleviate worry:

1. Live in “Day-Tight Compartments”

2. Ask yourself: “What is the worst that can happen...?” – and then – mentally prepare yourself to accept the worst. Then – try your best to improve upon the worst.

3. Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy.

These 3 bits of simple wisdom helped me in 1974:

1. I started living one day at a time (in fact – I used to think of only the one thing I was doing at that point of time – one thing at a time)

2. I mentally prepared myself for the worst – and – I got so busy with my studies – that I had no time to worry. Also – I topped my class. 

3. I used this formula of crowding worry out of my mind by keeping busy to overcome worry – later – throughout my Naval career – and – after retirement too – whenever I was in an adverse situation.

Right now – I am going through a rather worrying situation.

Points 1 and 2 are feasible to follow – I am trying to live one day at a time – and – I am mentally preparing myself for the worst eventuality.

Earlier – when I was working in the Navy – point 3 was feasible to follow – as I could get busy in my work.

But now that I have retired – how do I get busy...?

Well – I have decided to keep busy writing and blogging – and once I drown myself in this activity – I hope I am able to crowd out worry from my mind.

Let’s see if it works.

Well – it has worked before – and – I am hopeful it will work again.

“How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” was my first self-help book.

Subsequently – I have read many philosophy, art-of-living and spiritual books.

But – I still like “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” – and – I read it from time to time when I am in a blue mood.

This book is breathtaking in its simplicity – it does not profess any high-falutin concepts – but – it gives simple tips which are easy to understand and implement in daily life.

If you have not read this evergreen self-help book, do get a copy – it may help you in your worrying times. 

VIKRAM KARVE

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Repost of my post HOW TO CURE WORRY posted at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/06/how-to-cure-worry.html