Getting Back in Your Hula-Hoop: Redirecting Worry Into What You Can Actually Control

SHOW NOTES:

On this show…we are getting back in our hula-hoop as we redirect worry into what we can actually control. Have you ever noticed how worry has a way of making itself very comfortable in your body? Like it doesn’t just visit your thoughts, it moves in, rearranges the furniture, and tightens your shoulders while it’s at it.

I’m not talking about the big, dramatic worries that show up once in a while. I’m talking about the everyday kind. The background noise. The constant mental tabs you keep open that never fully close.

What’s interesting is how often we don’t even call it worry. We call it being responsible. Being prepared. Being a good parent, partner, leader, or friend. We say things like, “I’m just thinking ahead,” or “I just care.”

Meanwhile, our bodies are clenched, our minds are racing, and it feels like we’re always on standby for something we can’t quite name.

Here’s the picture that kept coming to mind for me.

It’s like standing in the middle of your own hula-hoop, but spending all your energy reaching outside of it. Trying to manage outcomes, predict reactions, and control situations that aren’t actually yours to carry.

And the more time we spend out there, the more drained we feel in here.

So today, I want to look at worry from a few less popular angles. Not just whether it’s helpful or unhelpful, but what it does to us, where it comes from, and what might happen if we gently brought our attention back into our own hula-hoop.

Because when we focus on what we can actually work on, something shifts. We don’t suddenly stop caring. We just stop carrying what was never ours to hold.

Worry has a sneaky way of making itself feel productive. It shows up dressed as responsibility. As preparation. As being on top of things. And because of that, we rarely question it. We just assume that if we stop worrying, something important will slip through the cracks.

But here’s the thing. Worry isn’t the same as action. And it definitely isn’t the same as control.

CHALLENGE: Notice when worry pulls you outside your hula-hoop. Each time it does, gently bring your attention back to what you can actually work on within yourself. Invest that energy in your growth and trust that you are becoming more capable than you realize.

I Know YOU Can Do It!

 

🎶 Music that Moves the Message

 

All original music featured in this episode—including the Encouragementology intro, outro, and interludes—was written and performed by Matt Martino. His work brings warmth and emotion to every episode.

 

Find more of Matt’s music here:

MATT MARTINO

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