It's often said that worrying doesn't keep any of the bad stuff from happening, it only saps the enjoyment out of the here and now. But whether you're a worrywart or not, most of us will fret -- at times -- over things we have no control over.
The good news is, hindsight, experience and perspective usually help us mellow out as we grow older. And with age, we realize we've wasted far too much time worrying. We asked our Huff/Post 50 Facebook followers what it is they wish they hadn't worried about when they were younger. Here are their responses.
1. Worrying about where to go to college/what to major in.
Things have a way of working themselves out in the end. "I never took a journalism course and yet have worked for 42 years as a reporter and editor," our senior writer Ann Brenoff said.
2. Worrying about what others think.
"I wish I'd have had the confidence to be my true self so I could have found out who liked the real me," said reader Angie Mills.
"I wish I hadn't worried about being liked. At a 20th class reunion, I pleasantly discovered I was remembered more fondly than I imagined. I wish I'd been able to enjoy that at the time," said reader Ruth Fisher.
3. Worrying about getting married.
Women, in particular, often feel the pressure to hurry up and get married or risk being "alone" for the rest of their lives. At Huff/Post50, we challenge that, having read numerous stories about people finding love "later in the game."
"I wish I didn't worry so much about whether I would get married 'on time,'" Brenoff said. "I didn't, but I did marry the right guy."
4. Worrying about appearance.
That pimple won't last forever. Your bad haircut will grow out. You don't look fat. There will be good hair days again. One day, you'll look back and realize how good you actually looked.
5. Worrying about fitting in.
Those in your high school clique won't always end up being your lifelong friends. Don't change who you are for them -- or anyone, for that matter. "I wish i hadn't worried about being part of the gang. I should have branched out and been my own gang, I probably would have been better off," said reader Sherry Palmisano.
6. Worrying about having children.
You can't rush nature. And you can't rush love. "I wish I didn't worry about being too old to start a family. I now know that famlies are formed in many different ways. Biology may not always be your friend, but it also doesn't have to defeat you," Brenoff said. When it's meant to be, it'll be.
7. Worrying about not being in control.
To a certain degree, none of us can really control how things will turn out -- at least not completely. But there's one thing most people with life experience will tell you -- you're far more resilient than you think.
"It takes getting older to realize we just are not in charge. All that worry is useless," said reader Susan Wilkie. We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
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