Worries are like mosquitoes. They grow bigger if you feed them.
The world always supplies worries. Wisdom teaches us how to shrink them.
The headlines today give us plenty of reasons to worry…
- Airline scares
- War in the Middle East
- Rising oil prices
But the truth about worries hasn’t changed.
The same principles that steady people in a cockpit at 30,000 feet can steady us in everyday life.
Here are four relievers for worries before they eat you alive.
#1: Strangle worries like a Navy pilot
Southwest Flight 1380 plunged 20,000 feet in six minutes on April 18, 2018.
Moments like this remind us that even today, with recent aviation scares making headlines again, calm training and courage still save lives.
But Tammie Jo Schultz did what all Navy fighter pilots do in chaos.
She recast fear into a stimulus for courage.
Survive . . .
- by facing the crisis
- with a reference point
Tammie Jo landed the plane safely in Phoenix minutes later.
#2: Work, don’t worry
Another powerful reliever for worries is work.
That’s what Tammie Jo’s crew members said in their first statement.
“We were simply doing our jobs.”
— Southwest Flight 1380 crew
So, forget about your worries and focus on your work.
“Worry ducks when purpose flies overhead.”
— C. Astrid Weber
#3: Live by a compass
Everyone needs a compass.
Tammie Jo’s friend, Staci Thompson, said that Christian faith guides her life.
After she landed the plane, she texted a friend, “God is good.”
Her compass is the Bible.
“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them, your servant is warned; in keeping them, there is a great reward. But who can discern their own errors?”
— Psa 19:7-12
The Bible is a powerful compass because it…
- inspires extraordinary strength.
- presents hope in any crisis.
- brings us close to God.
#4: Stay with the herd
Worry is like a leopard.
It pounces on those who wander from the herd.
Don’t turn inward. Go outward.
Isolation shuts untold millions in this techno-driven world into anxiety and depression.
Stay connected no matter what.
Even locusts know that unity with friends leads to uncommon success and satisfaction.
“Locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks.”
— Proverbs 30:27
Advance through your crisis with family, friends, mentors, and smart advisors.
The world will always supply new reasons to worry. The question is whether we will supply the discipline to answer them.
How do you handle worries?
Stories like this are part of the reflections I write about life, resilience, and human turning points explored on my About Stephen Blaising page.