Worry is defined as thoughts and images of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid the expected potential threats.
If we were to keep a record of all the things we worried about during a given period of time, we would discover, in reviewing them, that the great majority of our expected problems or troubles never come to pass. This means that most of the time we devote to worrying, which pushes us to try to come up with a solution to what is troubling us, is wasted, Thus, we not only caused ourselves unnecessary mental pain, but took up valuable minutes and hours that could've been spent elsewhere.
To avoid this, it is often necessary to stay calm and trace the sources of worry. More importantly, we should analyze the situation and see whether it is the very problem that is bothering us. Blindly feeling nervous about whether the problem can be solved is sometimes ridiculous, for the problems do not exist. Once, shortly before a major concert, a member of Arturo Toscanini's orchestra approached the great Italian conductor with an expression of fear on his face. "Maestro（大师）," the musician said, "my instrument is not working properly. I cannot reach the note of E-flat. Whatever will I do? We are to begin in a few moments." Toscanini looked at the man with amazement. Then he smiled kindly and placed an arm around his shoulders. "My friend," he replied, "Do not worry about it. The note E-flat does not appear anywhere in the music that you will be playing this evening. "
The next time we find ourselves in the middle of worrying about some matters, we might be wise to stop and ask ourselves what the problem is and whether it will happen. Then we may be able to go on to do something more meaningful or at least avoid being disturbed by something imaginary.
