Sometimes when things happen around me, I make them about me. If people are losing their jobs, I worry I’m about to lose mine. If someone gets angry, I analyze my relationship with that person, wondering if they’re mad at me too.

It’s good to be aware of how my behavior is affecting others, or to take wise actions in preparation for the future. But not everything that happens is about me. And acting on my fears might have harmful, unforeseen consequences.

Today, if I’m projecting into the future based on what’s happening around me, I will acknowledge those feelings, then let them move on. I can make a list of the things I’m powerless over and the things I’m not. I can ask my Higher Power for the next right thought or action. I can choose how to respond, and I don’t have to react out of fear.