It’s Not That Serious

One of my friends has a mantra he uses when life starts to get tense or stressful: It’s not that serious.

We were chatting the other day, and the mantra came up. He and his fiancé are in the midst of planning their wedding. I got married a few years ago, so I know it can be a stressful time. They’re also on a short timeline because they wanted to get married during a particular time of year. A lot of the venues they looked into were booked, so they were starting to feel stressed out.

“It’s not that serious.”

Getting Worked Up

The idea behind the mantra is that a lot of times in life, we get worked up about issues that aren’t a big deal in the long run. The wedding venue is a perfect example. In the heat of the moment, it feels super stressful when you can’t find the perfect venue. But the reality is that they will get married and it will be awesome and beautiful, irrespective of the particular venue they choose. But it’s hard to feel that way when you’re in the midst of the situation.

Do the Next Thing and Move On

I heard someone say, “Nothing is a matter of life and death, except life and death.” I love that. It’s usually not that serious. If you find yourself freaking out about something, press the pause button. Is this something that you will be worrying about in five years? One year? One month? If not, it’s not that serious. Take a deep breath, and do the next thing that needs to be done. But don’t let it ruin your day.