We all share one particular habit — and unfortunately, it is not a healthy one. It is not exercise, gratitude, or self-care. It is worry. Worry is something we all do, and yet it serves no useful purpose at all.
We worry as if worrying were a kind of magic tool — as if thinking about something over and over could somehow change the past or control the future. But the truth is simple: no one has ever changed anything by worrying. The only thing worry truly affects is the present moment. And not in a good way.
When we worry, we don’t change what has already happened. We don’t change what may happen tomorrow. What we change is our experience of now. We turn our present into a battlefield of imagined problems, fears, and “what ifs” — most of which never become real.
We suffer in advance. We live situations that do not exist. We exhaust ourselves emotionally over stories our mind is telling us, and we call that “being responsible.” But it isn’t. It is just fear wearing a mask.
“Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose” – Eckhart Tolle
Think about it for a moment. How many times have you worried deeply about something in your life?And how many times did it actually happen? And when it did happen… was it as terrible as you imagined? Was it worth the anxiety, the sleepless nights, the tension in your body, the stolen joy?
Probably not. When I look back at my own life, I can see how much time I wasted worrying about things that never came. And the things that did come… I was able to handle them. Just like you probably have. Because we are stronger than we think.
Worry does not protect us. It does not prepare us. It does not solve anything. It only steals our peace.
The problem with worry is that it makes imagined situations feel real. Your body reacts as if danger were present — even when nothing is happening. Your heart races. Your thoughts spiral. Your energy disappears. All because of a story in your head. A story that may never become true.
Worry keeps us focused on what we fear instead of what we value. It pulls us away from the life we are living right now and traps us in a future that doesn’t exist.
“Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better” – Walt Disney
So what can we do instead? First: be honest. If there is something you can change — take action. Do your best. Make the phone call. Have the conversation. Prepare. Learn. Try. That is healthy responsibility. But once you have done what you can…
Let go.
Because worrying will not add anything to your effort. It will only drain you. And if there is something you truly cannot control, then worrying about it is like carrying a heavy suitcase that you were never meant to carry. You don’t have to.
Life will always be uncertain. That is not a problem to solve. That is part of being human. Peace does not come from controlling the future. It comes from learning to live fully in the present. From trusting yourself. From knowing that whatever comes, you will face it — one step at a time.
Worry complicates life. Presence simplifies it. Use your imagination to build the life you want — not to torture yourself with fears that may never arrive. Do what is in your hands. Let go of what is not. And remember: Your life is happening now. Don’t let worry steal it.