Don't Worry, Be Happy

'in every life we have some trouble,

when you worry you make it double

don't worry, be happy'

Bob Marley had some great advice for seniors when he wrote those words.

Anticipation is an important part of life.  I found that looking forward to an upcoming activity made it easier to deal with other events that are not so pleasant. Years ago I was working for a publishing house in Dayton, Ohio. As a member of a small team we were working on materials submitted by Walter J. Limbacher, a Denver clinical psychologist who was also a consultant to the U.S. army. We were editing and field testing his ideas on teaching young children how to cope with their feelings. It was a controversial topic but exciting work. (It even merited an article in TIME MAGAZINE - February 22, 1971) The final text book was called "Dimensions of Personality" and all looked good for my future. I felt like Pip the narrator in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. However, shortly after the successful book publication  the company was sold and I ended up without a job!

Although a few other opportunities seemed to have some possibilities, I decided to move back to Toronto and try my luck there. Those couple of months without work were difficult, but I got along 'with a little help from my friends'.

Anticipation is double sided. Waiting to hear back from a job interview, studying for an important exam, financial worries, concern about a looming health problem and other such challenges are part of life's experiences. On the other hand, there are moments of positive anticipation such as a party or a much earned vacation, friends coming over, Christmas break and for me the beginning of the sailing season.

What I have learned is this: what we think, do and say, really does matter because it affects who we are and who we become. Those who understand how the brain works know that brain chemicals influence moods that can slow down or speed up brain processing. For example, prolonged stress might actually kill brain cells. There is some evidence to show that regular exercise helps to improve your mood by possibly affecting the serotonin in the brain.


I used to operate on the theory that it was the peak moments in life - moved by a beautiful sunset, falling deeply in love, enjoying some magnificent music - those occasions that elevated us to a higher level and make daily living well worth the effort. As I grow older I realize, as important and necessary these special occasions are, it is also helpful to make every day, and the minuscule things we do that day, the peak experiences of the present moment. By focusing on the positive means that I always have something to look forward to, and the sleeping smile on Maureen's face, as I slip out of bed in the early morning, gets that day off to a very positive start.

"Nothing quite as pretty as Mary in  the  morning

When through the sleepy haze I see her lying there..."

Ed Ames, Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell, Al Martino, Tommy Hunter etc.

Now you know how old I really am!!!

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week