Do you worry?   I used to believe that worry was a generational thing – something only older people do, but the more I travel, the more worriers I come across.

I also find that people with children seem to worry more.  Not just about their children, but other topics as well.  Women also seem to worry more than men.  I believe that worrying about their babies and toddlers sets up a pattern in women for worrying that they never quite overcome.

I have never been much of a worrier.  (I also have no children.)  My mother worries about the fact that I do not worry.  It seems she would be happier if I would choose to worry more.  If I were a better daughter, I would probably worry about my mother worrying about me.  Now that I think about it, I frequently keep minor illnesses or upsets from her because I do not want her to worry about me – she has enough to worry about with worrying about my not worrying.  In truth, I just don’t want to worry about being responsible for my mother’s worry.

In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never witnessed my mother resolve anything through worry.  Time after time when I was growing up I observed my mother being upset over something until my father came home.  She then explained the situation to him and he almost always did something about it.  I say “almost” because there were certain things he would not touch – like when my mother was not getting along with one of her co-workers or something like that.  He would counsel her on these issues, however, and it did seem to help.  So I suppose I decided at some point to be the one who resolves the issues, which probably explains why I became a consultant – but that’s another post!

What’s my point?  Don’t worry.

Now, I know that many of you who read my blog faithfully already get this.  This post is for those of you who do not.  This post is for those of you who worry, despite knowing better.

In the song, Don’t Worry Be Happy, by Bobby McFerrin there is a line that says, “In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double, don’t worry, be happy.”

So here’s a man who understands the value of contrast and the negative results of worrying and was enlightened enough to write a song it.  “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was song of the year in 1988.  One of my best friends gave a sermon about worry at her church a few weeks ago and used that song in her speech.

How can a concept be so popular, so right, and so disregarded all at the same time?  How can you stop worrying and start receiving all the good things life has in store for you? And my question when I became burdened with this dilemma; how can I help the readers of my blog who worry?

What I’m offering today is a concept I got from Timothy Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek .

I decided I needed to outsource my worry.  For the last few weeks I’ve been tearing my hair out because a business deal is taking far too long to close.  I asked Honey if she would be interested in tearing her hair out in my stead.  Just for a few minutes a day.  She thought it was a wonderful idea.  “I will worry about this every day,” she wrote.  “Do not worry.”

The outsourcing of my neuroses was one of the most successful experiments of the month.  Every time I started to ruminate, I’d remind myself that Honey was already on the case, and I’d relax.  No joke – this alone was worth it.

I’ve modified this concept to make it plausible on this website.  Here’s how it works.

Post whatever it is that you are worrying about as a comment on this article and I will worry about it for you.  That’s right (not really) – I will spend a certain amount of time every day worrying about your problems for you so you won’t have to.  The only stipulation is you cannot check up on me to see if I’m worrying about your problem and you cannot worry about whether or not I am truly worrying about your issue.  (Trust me, I’m not.)  Whenever you catch yourself starting to worry over this topic, stop and say, “Oh, wait a minute, this is the one I turned over to Debra.  She’s probably worrying about it right now and that is why I just happened to think of it.  But I don’t have to worry about it because she is worrying about it.”  Got it?  Good.

What will I do if I have too many worries?  Don’t worry - I’ll give some to my mother.  It will make her happy!

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