I’m a firm believer in “act like you control your destiny and realize you don’t.” What this means is that I don’t leave things up to fate or just hope they will work out; I am proactive in making sure they do work out in the way I intend. However, I always try to remember that ultimately I don’t have full control of my life. I might study as hard and as long as I know how and still get a B in a class. I might prepare myself thoroughly for taking the MCAT and then wake up the morning of the test with a horrible headache and bomb it. I might feel I have bulletproof logic in some theological or political position but later discover that I was dead wrong.

So, I don’t want to throw up my hands and just excuse myself as I have seen many do when they fail an exam, don’t get a job, or lose a relationship. The teacher sucks, it just wasn’t meant to be, the society owes me. These are all poor excuses which do not accomplish anything except to fortify lazy attitudes. Instead, I want to learn from my mistakes and expect good things. But I want to always live in the moment, not regretting the past or worrying about the future. I cannot control either of these realms.

This month, I want to focus on extinguishing worries. Any worries. To do this, I will focus on the following:

• Commit to one meditation session every day. For my last focus, I said I would try to do this, but I didn’t. So this month, I am going to commit to at least one 10-min session every day.
• Always bring thoughts back to the present. This doesn’t mean I cannot ever think deeply about things or plan things in the future, but these should be short and for a specific reason.
• Make use of timed distractions. If my back is really hurting or my brain is tired, I will take a break: make some tea, take a shower, do some stretches, or get outside. I just want to make it timed and intentional. I think intentional distractions, as paradoxical as they sound, might be one of the best cures for worry.
• Think of others. This is always a good antidote for worry. When I start to feel worry creeping into my mind, I will send up a prayer for someone else.

Now is all I ever have or will have. Why should I waste it worrying about something I cannot control. I want to make decisions intelligently but with confidence. Whatever happens, whether good or bad, will give me an opportunity to grow in consciousness. This is the way to view life.