From Worry to Wonder…

When we’re young, our imagination is wondrous.

It creates whole new worlds, magical lands, and stories that make perfect sense only to us.

I remember my daughter as a little girl, lost in play with her Sylvanian families, inventing entire communities filled with drama and adventure. It was pure joy to watch her imagination roam free.

At some point though, that same imagination starts to shift. We learn from the world around us to use it differently.

We’re told to be realistic. To get our head out of the clouds. To stop daydreaming.

Somewhere along the way, we start to believe that imagination is for children, and that adults need to be practical.

So instead of using our imagination to create wonder and possibility, we use it to predict and prevent. We stop imagining what could bring us joy, and start imagining what might go wrong.

The part of you that gets caught in worry spirals isn’t broken or bad. It’s simply using your imagination in a way that tries to protect you.

We’ve also been taught, almost universally, that worrying means we care. That if we don’t worry, we’re being careless or naive. It can start to feel like worrying is a requirement for being a good person, a good parent, a good leader.

“Of course I worry,” we say. “Who doesn’t?”

It might feel true that you have no choice but to worry, but is it actually true?

Worrying often feels automatic because it’s a well-rehearsed pattern. A part of you learnt long ago that if it could just anticipate every possible outcome, you’d be safe. That part took on a big job, and it’s been doing it ever since.

When I notice myself getting caught in a worry spiral, I know that part of me well. She’s scanning for danger, rehearsing possible disasters, trying to keep me safe.

When I can notice her and take a breath, I have a choice. I can meet her with curiosity and care instead of being swept away by her fears.

Sometimes that’s all it takes, a simple, “Ah, I see you.”

Other times, I might sit with her, listen to what she’s scared might happen, validate her concerns and reassure her that I’ve got this.

And sometimes, I use a more cognitive approach like Byron Katie’s Four Questions to gently explore the thought or belief that’s driving the worry.

The Four Questions

               1.           Is it true?

               2.           Can you absolutely know that it’s true?

               3.           How do you react when you believe that thought or belief?

               4.           Who would you be without that thought or belief?

Then comes the turnaround…finding the opposite thought and trying it on for a while, like a new pair of shoes.

For example, if the thought is, “Something bad is going to happen,” the turnaround might be, “Something good might happen,” or “I can handle whatever happens.”

Just notice what shifts in your body when you try that on.

Underneath every worry sits a belief…something like I’m not safe, I’ll fail, or I’m not enough.

And beliefs aren’t facts. They’re simply thoughts we’ve thought over and over again until they’ve settled in as truth.

The beautiful thing is that beliefs can change. When you bring awareness and curiosity to them, they begin to loosen their grip. And the more you question and explore them, the more space you create for new, more helpful beliefs to form.

This is what it means to reconnect to Self. To step back from the noise of your thoughts and parts, and listen instead to the quiet, steady presence that’s beneath them all.

When you connect to that calm, curious space inside, worry loses its power.

Because from Self, you remember that you are already safe.

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A gentle invitation to explore:

Take a moment to reflect.

               •             What’s something you’ve been worrying about lately?

               •             What belief might be sitting underneath that worry?

               •             How does that belief shape the way you show up?

Then, walk that belief through Byron Katie’s questions and see what opens up.

Worrying takes so much of our mental and emotional energy, and it never changes the outcome. It just makes the journey heavier.

So what if, the next time you caught yourself worrying, you paused and asked…

Is it true?

And what if you gently tried on the opposite thought, even for a moment?

Awareness changes everything.

And when you bring curiosity and compassion to the parts of you that worry, you naturally return to the place within you that doesn’t.