Dear friends,

Something inside of me is very good at worrying.

This part wakes up in the morning concerned with what might go wrong today.

The whole time I’m at work, it tries to anticipate problems and “solve” them before they start.

In the evening, it reviews everything that happened, magnifying any potential mistakes.

One word for this condition is anxiety.

But I prefer to call it creative.

***

“Creative,” according to my dictionary, is being original, expressive, and imaginative.

Making something new.

Rendering it vividly.

And doing so out of almost nothing.

That’s worry, all right—and mine can be so creative.

It’s like living with a great artist.

Who paints every wall with scenes of disappointment, destruction, and despair.

***

When I notice this tendency, what I do is recognize and redirect it.

“Wow, you’re so creative,” I tell it.

“And I wonder…could you use that creativity to do something else for me?”

Like:

• “Can you imagine three people who might be great partners on this project?”

• “Can you think of two opportunities for fun this summer?”

• “Can you visualize one way this could all work out and exceed my expectations on every level?”

Or, both playful and concise, “O creative one…”:

• “What would be a delicious dinner with friends?”

• “What would be a delightful message to send my mother?”

• “What’s something simple, right in front of me, that if I noticed it, it might make me smile?”

***

Maybe you have your own inner worrier…a.k.a. creative genius.

If so, can you notice when they take out brush and palette and start covering the walls with doom and gloom?

What happens if you let them paint—and even encourage them?

But request their talents be used toward something you want, value, and appreciate instead?

***

If you try this exercise, I’d love to hear your experience.

Either way, know that every part of you, just like every person in your life, wants to be helpful.

Some just have wonky ideas about what would actually serve you.

Inner leadership, like outer leadership, is catching those gaps, communicating clearly, and letting the relationship evolve from there.

Worrying isn’t just draining—it’s isolating.

Picture what you want instead of what you don’t, and connection naturally follows.

All of you can be original, expressive, imaginative—and inspiring.

That’s fine art, a good life, and a much more pleasant way to wake up.

Reframed—

Jeremy