zebras don't have ulcers?

how scientists know this is beyond me. i'm sure there has to be at least one zebra with an ulcer. anyway, that isn't the point.

i've stated before that pbs is a favorite station of mine. i happen to be watching a little of it last night before dinner. facing our fears was the name of the program. one of the people being studied was a young girl in college who had a fear of flying. she had anxieties and feelings of panic (panic attacks) a few days prior to a flight she had to take with her therapist. this girl had expressed that her fears were irrational as they didn't necessarily have to do with the plane crashing or malfunctioning. through her tears i could tell she was pretty upset about having to ride on a plane. i didn't get to watch the end of the program so i don't know what became of this girl. but i did catch a part that made me think about how i deal with worries and fears.

we all have worries, fears and maybe even phobias. they may have been passed down through ancestors who had learned somewhere along the line that spiders, snakes bears, lions and other things could harm and even kill them. but, it was mentioned that we may be too advanced for our own good. take, for instance, the things that we know are potential threats to our happiness- the worries of things that could happen but haven't. constantly entertaining fears and worries isn't good for anyone. recognizing when i happen to be doing this has been a key to my happiness.

this is where the lesson of the zebra comes to play. zebras are happy eating, grazing, and doing whatever else zebras do. when a lion starts charging after them, their instincts kick in, and they run. surely, they feel the panic, fear and adrenaline while a threat on their lives is actually upon them. but what happens after the lion isn't after them? they're back to grazing, hanging out...chillaxing.

i think i can learn something from this way of life. yes, i still need to prepare for the future by way of saving, food and water storage, having various plans and whatnot. but once preparations have been made, the energy and health wasted by worrying of what may or may not come is unproductive. for me, there is wisdom in 'i'll cross that bridge when i get there'.

doc.&cov. 38:30
ps. 34:4
prov.1:33
luke12:7&32
deut31:6&8
isa41:10, 13 and the list goes on...