Thoughtful Concern

There is worry, and then there is concern.  Concern, like worry, means something that we are upset or anxious about.  It is a vague, unpleasant feeling, often leading to feelings of fear, and even panic.  Concern of this type is experienced in anticipation of some, usually ill-defined, misfortune. When the concern is due to worry and negative stimuli, it occupies our minds and takes up psychic energy, energy that we could use for being grateful and joyful. It is hard to feel peaceful with a head full of concerns and annoyances.  It is human nature to blow things out of proportion. Often we allow ourselves to get worked up about circumstances, that, upon closer examination, aren't really all that big a deal.  We might ask ourselves, will this matter in six months?  To get past this, we need to observe what we are thinking about, pause or catch ourselves, and dismiss, or change, our thoughts.  Sometimes one thought, one concern, leads to another and yet another, until at some point we become totally anxious and overwhelmed when a more peaceful feeling  is one thought away.  Concerns can be opportunities to grow if we are able to rise above them. Richard Carlson, Ph.D., writes that we should ask ourselves the following questions:  Why is this issue in my life?  What would it mean and what would be involved to rise above it?  Could I possibly look at this issue differently?  When we work with these questions, we are able to hopefully get a better perspective on our situation or challenge.  To be concerned just doesn't mean to be anxious and worried, there is also something I call "thoughtful concern."  Feelings of concern that are sympathetic, softhearted, and tender over the welfare of someone else, most often someone who is defenseless.  And the concern we feel when listening to someone share circumstances they are sorrowful about and grieving over.