It happens to all of us. You’re walking down a hallway and your shirt gets snagged on a doorknob. You are stopped dead in your tracks but worse, your shirt is torn. You turn around, untangle yourself, and move on, a little more vigilant of protrusions in your path.  Worrying works in much the same way. Things come up in our mind which gets snagged and dragged into a worrisome cyclone of fear and doubt. Worrying takes us away from the moment whether the moment means playing with the kids or being present in a meeting or being attentive to our partner. But worst of all, worrying prevents us from tapping the true power of the mind.  Amazing things happen when we learn to stop worrying. Following are three examples of how life blossoms in a worry-free environment.

1. Belief
Andrew Weil tells a story where he never once found a four-leaf clover. He recalls meeting a woman who could find four-leaf clovers in any clover patch. She would bet people that within a minute, she’d find one. Weil soon realized the key to this woman’s ability to find four-leaf clovers was her belief. When we unsnag the mind from all that holds it back, belief becomes possible and with belief, everything is transformed.  As Joan de Arc said, “to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”

2. Trust
If you think back on your life, it’s often when we are most relaxed that the most meaningful encounters happen. In my book, I share a story about a particular moment in 1994 when I was perusing the aisles in the university Munch Mart. I asked the woman to my left, “Do you think these ‘microwavable bologna and cheese cracker sandwiches’ are a good call for a snack?”  Little did I know the woman would one day become Bon Appetit magazine’s Food Artisan of the Year. Her response to my inquiry about the ‘microwavable bologna and cheese cracker sandwiches’:  “Disgusting!”   We fast became great friends and partners in business. If that same moment were to happen in 2009 instead of 1994, I’d probably have been looking at emails on my iphone, worrying about something I wasn’t getting done, and I would have missed the encounter with my future best friend. When we live in the moment, we begin to sense there is a flow that delivers to us just what we need, right when we need it.

3. Visual imagery
Another great story from Andrew Weil (obviously I’m a fan) details a kid who would always day-dream in school. The teacher was hesitant to hastle the kid because he could voluntarily increase his body temperature and the teacher would have to send him to the principle’s office who would subsequently send the kid home. Weil discusses how the link between daydreaming and control of body temperature is very interesting. When the part of the brain responsible for processing info from the eyes (visual cortex) can shift its attention from the outside world to the inside world (as occurs during daydreaming), it has increased power to connect mind and will with the controls of the autonomous nervous system.  That means suddenly enhanced abilities to control body temperature but more importantly, according to Dr. Weil, to elicit spontaneous healing. Again it comes down to worrying. When we let go of our worries about the outside world and turn our attention inwardly through yoga or meditation or daydreaming, we gain tremendous power over our health.

So if you, like me, are a worrier, give yourself a chance:

-Trust in the moment to deliver the relationships, opportunities, and encounters that can forever change your life. When the moment is flooded with worry, it’s impossible to notice all the good that is coming right to your doorstep.

-Never doubt the power of belief to forever transform your life. When your shirt is snagged on the door, it’s impossible to “believe” in anything but untangling your shirt.

-Allow time each day to let go of all the things that bind you to the world. Even if you’re really worried, give yourself a chance to close your eyes and imagine yourself healing, triumphing, living your life of dreams.

by David Romanelli (www.yeahdave.com)

For tips on learning how to release fears, worries, and struggles through chocolate, wine, and music, check out my book Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate, and your Ipod Playlist.