How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Stop Worrying About the Past or the Future

To get the most out of this book, review the basic principles and think about how you can apply them. Then, use them whenever you have an opportunity. Keep a diary showing how and when you used them, and review your progress periodically. Consider how to improve the way you employ these principles, so that you will worry less and less. Some basic principles that will help you reduce worrying and live more effectively include:

Put the past in the past and focus on the present: Many times, when you worry you are thinking about the past and blaming yourself for what you have done wrong. However, if you can follow this principle, you can eliminate many worries. As the writer Thomas Carlyle said, "Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand."

Do not become anxious about the future: Thinking about the future can be another source of worry. While it’s important to carefully think about and plan for future developments, don’t become anxious about it. Realize that good thinking concerns itself, "with causes and effects and leads to logical, constructive planning."

Focus...