Don't-"Don't Worry be Happy", Worry be Happy-(PART 1)

As a child, I remember playing associative games. It starts like this: What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say…"

I imagine that the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the words "Oh say can you see" is not "what a creative slogan for an optometrist," but rather Francis Scott Key's lyrics (1812), which, 120 years later, became the national anthem for the United States of America: "The Star-Spangled Banner"

Similarly, for the phrase "Don't worry be happy," I doubt that the first thing that comes to mind is: "Wow what a catchy new slogan for the ‘Clown Association of America.’" More likely, Bobby McFerrin's musical hit comes to mind, accompanied by singing, humming, and whistling.

"Don't worry be happy" is not McFerrin's original slogan. The Indian mystic?Meher Baba?(1894–1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy". Baba saw himself as the?Avatar, or God in a human form.

So, is the phrase "Don't worry be happy" a message from God or an insight that proclaims, "simple genius"? Does practicing overcoming the negativity that derives from the worrying result in happiness? Pause the melody. Stop the music playing in your head, I think not. Hear me out: I fear that the idea behind "Don't worry be happy" can be a hazardous suggestion. Intense and joyful midlife requires traveling through the rugged roads of worries.

Should we try not to worry?

Is worrying something we should try to avoid? Is it a negative mannerism? Does it prevent happiness or hinder satisfaction?

If so, consider a bride on her wedding day. Is it farfetched to visualize her right before the beginning of the ceremony, looking stunning, feeling simultaneously overwhelmed with joy and petrified by worry, hoping nothing will blunder the ceremony?

I see no reason why happiness and worrying can't co-exist. On the contrary, happiness can derive from taking positive action to resolve a worrisome incident. Worrying is what activated the "call-to-action" button. Since every plan has some risk of falling short, it is natural that a stride towards potential happiness necessitates feelings of concern.

Not worrying can be related to indifferent behavior, together with ignoring future outcomes.

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Don't worry and be happy now, but what about tomorrow?

I believe that worrying is an antidote to procrastination. Stalling and trying to avoid confronting problems and unpleasant situations can be extremely natural. But problems tend not to drift away. They don’t just evaporate and vanish. Usually, if problems are addressed earlier, negative results can be reduced.

Worrying is a natural reaction to an oppressive reality. Worrying indicates that a change is necessary, Bypassing worrying will contribute to the fixation on the unwanted reality, however, worry will lead to searching for means to will ease the effect of the unpleasant worries, causing increased motivation to change the undesired situation.

Hey Bobby McFerrin, if you “ain't got no place to lay your head, or your rent is late, you have no cash and no gal,” maybe it is about time to start worrying.

Not worrying can generate a happy sensation immediately, but tomorrow is around the corner. Through avoidance, small and neglected problems usually develop into bigger ones.?

I suggest rewriting the song with new lyrics: "Go worry, to be happy".

This approach might be a positive attitude for every age, but it has additional importance when referring to midlife.?