Chapter 2 The Universal Formula for Conquering Worry

This universal formula for fighting worry once caused a dying patient to gain 40kg on a coffin-cruising voyage. Do you want to find a quick and effective way to eliminate worry - that is, you don't have to read the book and apply it immediately, and get rid of worry immediately with immediate results? Well, let me tell you about this method by Vicki Kabell.Cabell was a very bright engineer who pioneered the manufacture of air conditioners and is now the head of the world-renowned Cabell Corporation in Seresi, New York.It's the best way to beat worry that I know of, and it's what I learned from Mr. Cabell when I dined with him at the Engineers' Club in New York.

Mr. Cabell said: "When I was young, I worked for the Buffalo Steel Company in Buffalo, New York. At one point, I had to go to the Pittsburgh Glass Company in Crystal City, Missouri—a factory that cost millions of dollars. , to install a gas cleaning machine in order to remove the impurities present in the gas so that the engine will not be burned when the gas burns. This is a new method of cleaning gas, which was only tried once before, and the situation at that time was serious Not the same. When I went to Crystal City, Missouri, to do this job, a lot of unforeseen difficulties arose. I couldn't back down in that situation, and I tried to think of various ways to solve the problem. After some adjustments, the new machine was finally ready to use, but not to the standard we had promised.

"A sense of failure came over me and I felt as if someone had punched me hard on the top of the head. Also, my stomach and my entire abdomen started to ache. For a while, I was so worried I could barely sleep . "After a few days, I realized that worrying doesn't solve the problem, so I came up with a way to solve the problem without worrying, and it turned out to be very effective. I have used this way to eliminate worry for more than 30 years. This The method is very simple, anyone can use it, and it has been tried and tested. It has 3 steps: "First step: I analyzed the whole situation without fear and honesty, then imagined and estimated what would happen in case of failure. No one would lock me up or shoot me, that's for sure. Yes , I could very well lose my job, but my boss could also tear down the entire machine, costing twenty thousand dollars.

"Step 2: Having identified a number of worst-case scenarios that could have happened, I allowed myself to accept it when necessary. I said to myself that this failure is a big one on the record of my life." Stain, I might lose my job because of it. But even if it is, I can find another job. And it could be worse than that. As for my boss, he also knows that I am now experimenting with a new cleaning method Gas's method, if the experiment cost $20,000, he could still afford it. He could charge that to the research expense, because it was just an experiment. When I analyzed the worst-case scenario that could happen, and After allowing myself to accept it, something very important happened - I immediately relaxed and felt a peace I hadn't experienced in days.

"Step Three: From then on, I calmly look at the worst possible outcome and devote my time and energy to solving the problems and difficulties I face. I try to find ways to reduce our stress. We are currently facing a loss of 20,000 dollars. I have made several experiments for this, and finally found that if we spend another 5,000 dollars, we can install some equipment, so that our problem can be solved. I report this idea to We got the boss's consent immediately. After we followed this method, the company not only didn't lose $20,000, but earned $15,000. "Afterwards, I summed up the experience of this mission and came to a conclusion - if I had been worrying like that, I'm afraid I would never be able to do this again, because the biggest harm of worry is that it will destroy my ability to concentrate. Ability. When we worry, we become distracted and lose the ability to analyze and make decisions. However, when we force ourselves to face the worst and accept it mentally first, we are able to weigh all possible scenarios , which puts me in a favorable position where I can concentrate on solving the problem, so that we can concentrate on solving the problem.

"The incident I have just described happened many years ago, and since this method is so effective, I have continued to use it. As a result, there are hardly any troubles in my life anymore." Why is Vicki Kabell's universal formula so valuable and so practical?From a psychological point of view, it can help us break free from the huge gray cloud, so that we no longer grope blindly because of worry; it can keep our feet on the ground, and we all know that we are indeed standing. on the ground.How can we think about things if we don't have this solid ground under our feet?

"Father of Applied Psychology" Professor William James has passed away for 38 years. If he was still alive today and heard this universal formula for alleviating anxiety, I believe he would also agree with it.How would I know?Because he once said to his students: "You have to be willing to take on this situation, because accepting the fait accompli is the first step in overcoming any misfortunes that follow." That's right, in doing so, you'll be able to tap into new abilities, mentally.When we accept any worst-case scenario, we have nothing to lose, which means everything can be regained.As Vicky Kabell told me: "After facing the worst, I immediately relaxed and felt a peace I hadn't experienced in days. Then I could think."

These words make perfect sense, don't they?But there are still many people who ruin their own lives because of anger and worry.Because they refuse to accept the worst situation, they don't want to start from this to change the status quo and rebuild their lives, and they don't want to save as much as possible in the disaster.Instead of recreating their fortunes, they engage in "a ruthless and violent struggle" from experience, and fall prey to that despondency we call melancholy. At this point, you may be more interested in hearing how to use Vicky Kabell's universal formula to solve your own problems.Well, here's an example.This guy was a former student in my class, and he's now distributing gasoline in New York.

He said: "I was blackmailed, I don't believe this kind of thing can happen, let alone this kind of thing can happen in real life outside of the movie-but my experience tells me that I was indeed blackmailed. Things The story is like this: My company has several oil trucks and several drivers. At that time, the regulations of the Price Management Committee were very strict, and the gasoline we gave to each customer was also limited. The truth of the matter I didn't know it at first, but there are indeed some oil delivery drivers who secretly reduce the amount of oil used by customers, and then sell the oil secretly to other people to make ill-gotten gains from it.

"One day, a man who claimed to be a government investigator came to me and asked me for a red envelope. He said he had evidence of our gas delivery driver's malpractice and threatened to confiscate the evidence if I did not comply with his request. Referral to the District Attorney. I was appalled at this time to find out about this illegal transaction in the company. "Of course, I know that I don't have to worry too much about me personally, because at least this matter has nothing to do with me personally. But I also know that the law stipulates that the company should be responsible for the actions of its employees. Go to court, then this bad reputation will ruin my business. I am very proud of my business, my father started laying the foundation 24 years ago, if it is ruined in my hands, I will suffer for the rest of my life.

"I was terribly worried, I got sick very quickly, I couldn't sleep for three days and three nights, I kept worrying about that. Do I pay the guy $5,000, or do I say to the guy, 'You can do whatever you want 'What? I couldn't make up my mind for a while, and every day seemed to be living in a nightmare. "One Sunday night after it happened, I happened to pull out a little book, How to Stop Worrying, which I had been given when I heard Carnegie give a speech. I started reading it and read Vicky Carnegie Bell's story on 'how to face the worst.' So I asked myself, 'If I don't pay the guy and he turns over the evidence to the D.A., what's the worst that could happen? what?' "The answer was: 'This is going to kill my business - that's the worst. But I'm not going to be locked up, what could happen is that I'm going to be ruined by this.' "So I said to myself: 'Well, even if the business is ruined, I can live with it. So what?' "Yeah, after the business is ruined, I might have to find another job. It's not necessarily such a bad thing, I know a lot about oil... a couple of big companies might be happy to hire me... So, I started to feel better. After that, my worries started to subside a little bit, and my emotions stabilized. And to my surprise, I regained my thinking ability at this time, and I was able to think like I used to problem. "Then, I clearly saw the third step - to reverse the worst situation as much as possible. When I found the solution, a whole new situation opened up in front of me: if I told the whole situation to my Lawyer, he might help me find a countermeasure I never thought of. I know it sounds stupid, because I really didn't think of it when I first started-during those days, I was almost caught by that Surrounded by overwhelmed worries, it was impossible to think normally. Now that my thoughts were clear again, I immediately decided to see my lawyer early the next morning. After I went to bed that night , slept soundly. "How did it turn out? It was quite dramatic. My lawyer told me to go see the District Attorney the next morning and tell him the whole story. I actually did as he suggested. When I said After the incident, I was surprised to hear from the District Attorney that there had been several cases of this type of extortion going on for several months. The man who claimed to be a 'Government Investigator' was actually the police Wanted criminal. My joy when my attorney told me this result was beyond words. After three days and three nights of worrying because I couldn't decide whether to hand over the $5,000 to this criminal, I heard I was really relieved by what he said. At the same time, I blamed myself for not discussing this matter with my lawyer in time. "This experience taught me a lesson I will never forget. Now, whenever I am faced with a problem that worries me, I use Vicky Cabell's universal formula." There is another representative story below, which is about Al Haley. On November 17, 1948, he told me this story himself at the Silang Hotel in Boston: "In 1929, I developed a stomach ulcer from constant worry. One night, I had a stomach bleed and was taken to Chicago's Sibbie University Medical School Hospital. My weight dropped dramatically from 175 pounds to 90 pounds. It was so serious that the doctor warned me not to even lift my head. Among the three doctors, one was a very famous gastric ulcer specialist, and they all said that my disease was hopeless. At that time, I could only eat soda powder. I eat a tablespoon of semi-fluids every hour. Every morning and night the nurse has to insert a rubber tube into my stomach and clean the contents out, which is giving me such a hard time. "This went on for months. Finally, I said to myself, 'Sleep, Hayley. If you have nothing to do but wait to die, you might as well make the most of the time you have left. You Haven't you always wanted to travel the world before you die? If you still want to, why not do it now?" "The next day when I told the doctors that I was going to travel the world and wash my stomach twice a day by myself, they were shocked. It was impossible for them. They had never heard of such a thing. So they warned me that if I started traveling around the world, I would end up in the ocean. 'No, I won't.' I replied, 'I have already told my Friends and relatives have made promises that I will be buried in the cemetery in my hometown in Nebreska Oblast, so I intend to take my coffin with me.' "So, I actually went and bought a coffin, put it on the ship, and made an agreement with the steamship company that if I die during the trip, I will put my body in the freezer and ship it all the way to my hometown. .I finally embarked on the journey, feeling both tragic and romantic in my heart. After all, no one has done this before. I did this. This may be the best explanation for my life. When I boarded the ship , I feel quite relaxed, and I can even recall a poem by Omar Kane: "In fact, it was this poem that accompanied me throughout the trip. And the miracle happened soon after I boarded the ship 'President Adams' in Los Angeles and started sailing east, after which my illness quietly occurred. Gradually, I stopped taking medicine and did not wash my stomach. Soon, I could eat any food without any scruples, even including many strange local foods and condiments. It is said that these are I would have killed myself if I ate them; however, I was fine with those things. After a few weeks, I could even smoke a long black cigar and drink a few glasses of old wine. I haven't enjoyed it like this in years Life. We've had monsoons in the Indian Ocean and typhoons in the Pacific, which would have put me in a coffin to die if I had been afraid in my heart, but I've gained from this adventure like never before fun of. "I made new friends on the boat, played games, sang songs with everyone, and often talked late into the night. After arriving in China and India, I found that the private affairs I had to deal with after returning were compared with the poverty and hunger I saw in the East. , it was a world of difference. It made a big change in my thinking, I dropped all the boring worries and felt very comfortable. After returning to the US, I quickly gained 90 lbs. I had stomach ulcers I almost forgot all about it. I've never been more comfortable in my life. I went back to work and haven't been sick since. "Later, I summed up the process of my psychological changes, and I found that my psychological changes coincided with Vicki Kabell's method of conquering worry. "First, I asked myself: 'What's the worst that could happen?' The answer was: death. "Secondly, I prepared myself for death. I had to, because I had no choice, and all the doctors said I was hopeless. "Thirdly, I tried to find ways to improve the situation, and I began to enjoy the little time I had left... If I continued to worry after I got on the ship, there was no doubt that I would finish it in my coffin." This trip. But when I relaxed, I forgot all my troubles, and this mental peace gave me new strength, and it was this new strength that overcame the sickness in my body , saved my life." Therefore, when you are faced with worry, a shortcut to get rid of worry is to apply Vicky Kabell's universal formula and carry out a three-step psychological adjustment: 1. Ask yourself: "What's the worst that could happen?" Two, if you must accept it, be ready to accept it. 3. Calmly and rationally find ways to improve the worst situation.