Since our brains are wired to see and predict every possible scenario—every possible thing that could go wrong or could be better—it makes sense that we are driven in this direction. But this estrogen-fueled excess of diligence and responsibility can be a horrible waste of time.

When the current problem isn’t bothering them, then the next one pops up, and when that one isn’t bothering them, the next one pops up. That is what your thoughts are about. Your thoughts tend to focus on what is bothering you today. Your thoughts are about the problem, why it is bothering you, and what you can do about it.

If we’re able to change our mental formations, we’ll know how to relax, how to embrace and transform our worries and anxieties.