Worry Redux

Worry: Give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulties or troubles.

The meditation experience is not a competition.  There is a definite goal but there is no need to rush.  The purpose of meditation is not to deal with problems so problem-solving is a fringe benefit and should be regarded as such.  Don't think about your problems while you're meditating!  Push them aside very gently.  Don't shove them aside as if you're trying to catch a foul ball at a major league baseball game.  But take a break from all of that worrying and planning.  Repeating myself here: For several years I jotted down whatever worry was intruding at the moment into my peace.  At the end of the year I reread this list and what a load of crap.  I worried about the most implausible things and when I couldn't hork up anything implausible I returned over and over to the same tried and true worries that are always going to be part of the human condition.  Almost none of the crap that I worried about came true and when it did I was able to handle it calmly and with dignity.