Just in case you haven't heard the news...guess what? I was just appointed as the Supreme Overlord for this part of the planet. It is indeed a high honor and of course, I am humbled by the challenges. I will work to make sure that everyone who has a cause will get what they want AND there will be NO new taxes...you can read my lips on that one. However, in order to serve you better, I have noticed that we do need a little something from you. So...       Tomorrow morning at 9:00a.m., I will be at your house, take your computer and leave. There is nothing you can do about it and no way you can stop me...it will happen...it will be mine...all mine! (Cue the maniacal laughter in the background)       What would you do? First of all, you would probably laugh and say, "Yeah, right." and forget about it. But suppose you really did believe that it would happen...what would you do? Most people would probably receive a blast of nervous energy that would help them to decide whether to fight all-powerful Emil for their God-given right to bear computers or to take their computer and head for the hills. This "fight or flight principle" has been a part of the human personality ever since man first appeared on the planet. It is a survival instinct. When we feel endangered, we usually do one or the other. Often this instinct, combined with our fears and insecurities, is what creates anxiety and can sometimes lead to panic attacks in some people. Generally speaking, these drives are good and necessary. However, there is one behavior that is often generated during this time that is totally useless. It is called...worry.       A certain amount of worry or concern about your fate is healthy and important because it may spur you into action or into a different action than was planned. However, once "the die is cast" and something beyond your control intervenes...worry takes on a new character and dimension.       In the example given above, I promised you that something would happen. If you had believed that it was true, how much worrying would you have had to do to change the outcome? Obviously, if the scenario was true, NO amount of worrying would change it. So, by letting people know what to expect, they would not only hear the message, but they would understand the meaning and implications, and life would go on with a minimum of strife...right? Unfortunately, that is not the case for many people. Even after hearing the above, they would still fret and fuss about what was going to happen...making themselves and everyone around them miserable. In the end, nothing will have changed other than the person doing the worrying has greatly increased their stress level and depleted their energy. And you know what? After all that worry, I will still be at their doorstep tomorrow morning and take their computer.       Now, suppose that same person had realized the futility of worrying, "kicked back" all day long, visited with their friends, played the lottery (and won), and just had the best day that anyone has ever had. Despite that fact, the inevitable will still happen...I will show up tomorrow morning and take their computer. However, even though the outcome is the same, there is a difference.       In Version #2 we saw a much richer, fuller, rewarding day. The person made the best use of their time and turn an impending, negative, event into something positive. So, the lesson to be learned here is that there are some things in life that you just cannot change. No matter how much you worry about them...it won't make a difference. Worrying is a waste of time and energy. It is a totally useless emotion.       Dutch Evangelist, Corrie Ten Boom once said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow...it empties today of its strength."      Don't worry...be happy! Back To Emilville High School Back To All About Emil