Why Worry?

I recently saw a movie I can highly recommend.  Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks, was one of the best pictures I've seen in a long time.  2 hours and 20 minutes long, and I never looked at my watch.  There was a line in the movie that I can't get out of my head.  Tom Hanks, a lawyer, was defending a Soviet spy.  Hanks turns to the spy after telling him that he is most likely going to be convicted and executed and asks him why he doesn't seem worried.  The spy answers, "Will it help?"  (meaning, will worrying about the conviction help anything?)  Ron and I both looked at each other, and realized how meaningful  the answer was.  Worrying about something doesn't help anything.  It doesn't make you feel better and it certainly doesn't change the situation.  In fact, worrying can do a lot of damage to your health.

Worrying can lead to feelings of high anxiety and even cause you to be physically ill.  It can raise your blood pressure, increase your heart rate and cause stomach problems.  Excessive worrying causes anxiety, a normal reaction to stress.  However, chronic worrying leads to high levels of anxiety which can cause real health problems.  The answer given by the spy in Bridge of Spies was so perfect.  Hanks asked why he didn't look worried and the spy answered "Will it help?"  I will think of that often, as I go through some very stressful times.