The anti-ulcer, anxiety-lowering, tension-reduction, get-it-together formula:

The major underlying cause of human worry relates to the Law of Change. All human conflict relates to this law. Some worry that change will take place, others that it will not. Wars are fought to resist change or to accelerate it.

At the individual level, this translates into various forms of indecision. Fear enters into the pattern, fear of the consequences of any decision or action. The pressure builds up, intensifies as the decision is put off, delayed. The result accumulates toxins in all parts of the human system until there is failure or severe reduction in operating efficiency. Indecision is the killer.

Consider the statistics of decision, in general and simplified. In any abstract decision, there is a 50 percent probability that the correct or constructive choice will be made. If the correct path is taken, obviously no problems will exist. If the incorrect selection is made, it will become evident. When it does, there is a 50 percent probability that the choice can be reversed and the constructive path substituted in its place.

Therefore, there is only one chance in four, at the most, that an irrevocable direction may be taken in decision making. All vital decisions in the history of man have been made on much worse odds than three to one. Some were as high as one in twenty and came out positively.

To move away from the null point of indecision, take the position that any action or decision is better than none at all, based upon the odds of three to one. To get the process underway without trauma, perform the following:

Make up an A list. Place on this list all of your worries, anxieties, and concerns about which you can do absolutely nothing. You cannot do anything about tomorrow’s weather conditions. It will rain, snow, be cold or hot, and there is no action you can take to prevent it. If there is absolutely nothing you can do today about such items, place them on this A list.

Make up a B list. Place on this list all of your worries, anxieties, and concerns about which you can do something today, take action, large or small.

Make up a C list. Place on this list all of your needs, hopes, and desires, large or small, which have yet to be fulfilled.

Today, perform the following functions:

1. Take the A list and destroy it, and in so doing, dismiss all items contained therein from your consciousness. Why waste your energy worrying about that which you cannot control?

2. Take the B list and take some action, however small, to begin the resolution of each item contained therein. Several may be concluded immediately and thus can be released and dismissed from your consciousness. Others will be reduced in pressure because the flow has begun, a decision has been made.

3. Take at least one item on the C list and perform one act, large or small, that moves you in the direction of such goal.

Perform this entire process each day until you have no A list, no B list, and all of your energy and consciousness are devoted to items on your C list.

You then will complete serenely your human life purpose.

Robert Monroe - Far Journeys