What's on Your Mind?

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Did you ever say to yourself, "I wonder what my life would be like now if I had made a different decision years ago?" Frank Sinatra looked back on his life and wrote a song about regret. "Regrets, I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention." We make decisions under all kinds of circumstances. There are the minor decisions on a daily basis. Life happens! Then there are the major decisions that change our lives. A few years ago FORBES listed a number of common regrets of older folks: worked too much; failing to keep in touch with childhood friends; worrying  about what others think; having a lack of confidence in oneself or wished they had grabbed that dream job - and so on. In other words there are the short term mistakes we might have made and  the long term missed opportunities we might have let slip by.

Some new brain research, using MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, show that unhealthy regrets over missed opportunities in life can actually lead to feelings of depression. So it's not only we octogenarians who need to disengage ourselves of our regrets and worries! Besides, there are those  incidents where it's too late and nothing can be done anyway! That's been called a misuse of the imagination.

I presume low level worries help us to plan ahead. Bur serious worrying can be just a waste of time!  My staying awake half the night fretting over some embarrassing social blunder or kicking myself for a foolish faux pas, was a very useless exercise. Usually the next morning friends won't even remember what happened - and you won't remember either a week later!

The word 'worry" is an old English word meaning annoy or even strangle. And that is exactly what we do..strangle ourselves! We all remember calling someone a "Worry Wart". I think that expression dates back to J.R. Williams, a Canadian born cartoonist who did the "Out Our Way" bit in the 'funny papers'. (I am aging myself!) You probably have met someone who worries audibly over almost everything. I once worked with such a person and it was almost impossible to finish a task and move on. Too much worrying can be serious and  become a form of chronic anxiety. They actually worry themselves sick and the expression, "Get over it" does not usually help.

We all take risks every day. Just hop in your car and drive on a major highway! But we need to be careful that we do not, in our own minds, overestimate the risks. Being worried is not the end of the world, but it is part of the world we live in. Did you ever notice that two people can find themselves in the very same situation, but their experiences  are very different. There are no monsters under our bed so never misunderstand the power of our thoughts to change things.

Somebody once wrote, "The only thing that makes it part of your life is that you keep thinking about it." So as Bobby McFerrin once sang, "Don't worry, be happy".

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

Did you Know?

Some U.S. states still forbid auto makers to sell cars directly to customers, they must use independent dealers.  So Tesla Motors, the builders of pricey electric cars, are opening 'stores' where potential owners can learn about the car, but can't discuss prices or test drive them.