Is it worth the worry?
What is it with those last five pounds that refuse to be banished into fat Heaven? Most women I know, even the most fit, moan about the five little lines on the scale that indicate they are not at their target weight. It could be ten, seven, or even more, but it seems like I, and the rest of the female population, am never satisfied with my appearance.
The other night I was out with some friends to celebrate my (belated) birthday. We asked the server to take our picture. When the cell phone was passed around, the first thing I said was, “I look fat.” Everyone moaned, as I was the skinniest person at the table.
Ladies – why do we do that? Or am I the only one?
Think about these facts:
Some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That’s about one in nine people on earth. The vast majority of the world’s hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished.1
I’m embarrassed. I’m worrying about a few extra pounds around my middle when so many go hungry on a regular basis. It got me thinking about what other things I stress about that really don’t matter.
• The barista at Starbucks didn’t get my drink quite right and now my morning is ruined.
• Everyone else posts pictures from their wonderful vacations in exotic locales and I’m stuck at work.
• I pulled out in front of someone and they flipped me off. How dare they!
• The checker at the grocery store forgot to bag my hamburger and now I have to make meatless spaghetti.
I could go on, but you get the point. And I get the point.
It sounds trite, but I am trying to be thankful for today. Today I will be the best employee I can be. Today I will not worry about my weight. Today I will enjoy that last brownie. Today I won’t let someone else’s rudeness ruin my day.
What about you? What do you stress about that really doesn’t matter? As my dad always said, “Don’t waste a good worry.”
Matthew 6:34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
