Susan Sparks: Three Steps to Face Down Worry - Step 2

This week we continue with step two of our series on how to face down fear and worry:

1-Name what’s NOT worrying you;
2-Name what IS worrying you;
3-Hand it over and look beyond.

Last time we talked about the importance of naming what is not worrying you first. When we focus on what is working in our life, we empower ourselves to then name what is not working--to name the things we are worried about.

When I was little I was terrified of mummies. And when the lights went off at bedtime, everything became suspect ... like the bathrobe in the closet that looked just like a corpse wrap. So I cowered under the covers, sure the mummy was there waiting to jump out and drag me back to its ancient tomb. It was only when my mom came in and turned on the light that I saw it was just the terrycloth robe.

We may get older and our fears may change, but the same principle applies. When we stay under the proverbial covers and refuse to look at our worries, they remain worries.

One of the best ways to fight fear is to look straight at it--name what is worrying you. For example, look at the items in your in box, open the credit card statement, listen to the voicemail message you don’t wanna hear. Most of the time it's never as bad as we imagined.

Acknowledge the problem. If we don’t, then the worry won’t go away. The word “worry” actually comes from an Anglo-Saxon word that means choke or strangle. We all know the stranglehold that worry can get on us … especially in the middle of the night.

This week, after you name what’s working in your life (step 1), name what’s worrying you. Shine the light on it and see it for what it is. As the old saying goes, "F-E-A-R has two meanings: forget everything and run or face everything and rise."

Join me next time when we'll talk about step three: "Hand it over and look beyond."

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Just a quick update: My new devotional "Grace-Filled Gratitude" is still holding as a top-five best-seller in several categories on Amazon! Order your copy HERE!

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