Like most things in life, we have a lot more agency than we think when it comes to what we choose to worry about.

We can choose to worry at an instinctual level, giving credence to every negative thought that enters our brain, validating it and building it up into an immovable mental object for which we can see no way around.

We can choose to be guilted, pressured or shamed into worry, adopting a stance only because it was expected of us. “I bet you’re so mad that Susan got that promotion over you. If it were me, I’d be worried about whether or not there’s an opportunity to ever grow in this company…”

We might not have even cared about that promotion or our future in the company in the first place, but given the expectation, we might now.

We can choose to worry at a societal level, adopting the worries and neurosis of those around us, often fanning the flames of misinformation and hysteria that we may not have otherwise worried about, but for the fact that everyone around us seemed so concerned, we figured we should be as well.

We can choose to worry about nothing, if we want.

Or, we can choose to worry about the things that matter for the change we’re trying to bring about in the world.

We can worry about whether we’re bringing our best selves and our best work to the table. About how to enroll others in our vision and empower them to take action. About how to create advocates who will help us build our movement.

There’s no right thing to worry about, no wrong. But the choice is ours to make.

And some are awfully more productive.

Want to hear more about building an audience around work that matters? I think you might enjoy these reads!

https://medium.com/@jeremyenns/whats-slowing-your-progress-49268d0627c0https://medium.com/@jeremyenns/whats-slowing-your-progress-49268d0627c0