Why Is It That Worry Is Always Focused On The Future, While Gratitude Is Focused On The Present?

The Mind Isn't Reliable 

What is it that causes you to be concerned? Why are you so concerned? Is it to keep a sense of command? Perhaps you're involved in something over which you have no control? To interrupt the pattern and attain inner peace, I want you to recognize whether anxiety is benefitting you. Yes, you can let go of your worries, but it will take effort on your behalf. So, are you ready to make a change? If that's the case, let me show you how to transition from concern to inner peace.

Worrying causes our minds to project into the future because we feel we won't be able to handle what will happen. Worrying is thus an attempt to exert control over something over which we have little or no influence. In his book, The Five Things We Cannot Change, author and psychologist David Richo repeats this sentiment: "We are concerned because we do not trust ourselves to deal with whatever occurs. We are concerned because we do not believe that the way the cards fall will be favorable. We are concerned since we have yet to say yes." 

The key to overcoming concern is to recognize that the mind, with its inherent negativity bias, cannot be trusted. According to evolutionary psychologists, the brain has evolved over thousands of years to detect intrinsic danger in our environment. It was a critical stage in our brain's history when people first wandered the Savannah years ago, analyzing for a potential threat. Even if the threat is no longer present, our biology has not caught up. To put it another way, our minds are still looking for a threat to our safety and survival, even if the threat isn't as immediate as it once was. We must not, however, allow ourselves to be concerned about something that may or may not occur.

Uncertainty does not have to equal worry or fear. 

Are you satisfied with this concept thus far? Can you see how your mind is designed to assist you in surviving? As a result, we must not become engrossed in endless concern, but rather return to the present moment. We strengthen neuronal pathways in the brain every time we bring ourselves back to the present. Becoming aware of our worrying tendency, takes time, patience, and effort. We will see positive improvements in our lives if we can practice shifting our attention from the future to the present now.

To put it another way, we must learn to see ourselves when we are worried and to construct a barrier between the observing and concerned minds. It entails inhabiting our mind and body rather than allowing our thoughts to roam into the future. We may learn to be grounded in the present moment through mindfulness in the same way we have taught ourselves to worry. As a result, anchoring ourselves in appreciation will assist us in letting go of worry, as gratitude serves as a bridge between the present moment and the future. In other words, gratitude is the decision to view reality through a new lens rather than worry, anxiety, or dread. Yes, the future is unpredictable, but that doesn't mean you have to be worried or afraid. Uncertainty can provide us with a plethora of beneficial opportunities. It necessitates maintaining an open mind and refraining from catastrophizing things beyond our control.

Awareness Training 

Are you willing to put this into practice? Can you offer yourself the gift of letting go of your anxieties and fears and focusing on the here and now? By focusing your attention on inner serenity, you are deserving of self-love. Worry, anxiety, and fear are negative feelings that obscure our judgment about what is genuine. They are mental fake news and deceptions that keep us stuck and alienated. But if you're willing to compose a fresh script for the future, this doesn't have to be your reality.

And here's the thing: gratitude enables us to focus on what is genuine and maintain this condition. Because it is based on appreciation, gratitude is the language of love. Through the power of acceptance, we can create a loving heart. To let rid of worry and dread, we should focus on what is tangible rather than phantom states of mind. Even though your mind tries to persuade you that the future is unpredictable and terrible, this is a made-up story created by the ego. But it doesn't have to be this way because we have the ability to shift our focus to the current moment. Breathwork, mindfulness, and meditation are all useful tools for navigating fear, worry, and anxiety. We can practice sitting alone in solitude and focusing on our breath, for example. We safely tether ourselves to the present moment as we breathe in and out. Similarly, when our minds wander to the future, mindfulness teaches us to return our focus back to the present now. Meditation is the discipline of cultivating awareness and distancing ourselves from our ideas so that we can become observers.