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WE FEW, WE ANXIOUS FEW, have a tendency
to ask questions that drive us nuts: "What if?" "Why?"
"What do they think?" "What will happen in the
future?" These are questions that in some way or another
can produce anxiety. And they are perpetual. In other words,
some questions can be answered and finished. For example, "What
time is it?" But some can never be finished and so can perpetuate
a state of anxiety.
Since we already have the capability of
asking perpetual questions, and since we can use any question,
I recommend one that produces positive emotions rather than negative.
The question is:
"WHAT GOOD HAVE I BEEN IGNORING?"
Let your mind have a field day with that
question, and all you'll get as emotional fallout are feelings
of happiness and gratitude and pleasant surprise.
When you look for something, you tend to
find it. This question makes you look. You'll realize someone
has done something nice for you and you didn't really notice.
You'll remember a great time you had a couple weeks ago —
and realize you hadn't thought of it since then. Your mind will
be attuned to good news. The question sets your mind to be on
the lookout for it, so you'll notice and respond to news about
how this lake got cleaned up or that disease now has a cure.
The question not only directs your attention
to a healthy category, the question has the same perpetual quality
as questions you have used to drive yourself crazy. It is perpetual
because even after you've answered it, you can ask it again.
That's not true with other kinds of questions. Once you've answered
the question, "What did I eat today?" the question
is complete and asking it again would just be silly.
But you can ask yourself what good you've
been ignoring, and you will always be able to find more. Having
your attention on the good is relaxing.
Ask yourself, again and again,
"What good have I been ignoring?"
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