Chapter 50 Time can solve many problems

Worry cost me ten of the most precious years of my life. The age of 18 to 28 is the most colorful and richest time in life. Now I finally understand that the loss of those ten years was not anyone else's fault, it was all caused by myself. Be it work, health, or family, I fret about everything.Because of low self-esteem, I often avoided people I knew.If I happened to meet a friend, I pretended not to see it—I was afraid of being ridiculed. I am even more afraid of dealing with strangers, and I feel uncomfortable when I get along with unfamiliar people, which makes me lose three job opportunities in a row in two weeks-I lack the courage to face my boss .

One afternoon eight years ago, I conquered these worries.I was sitting in the office of a friend who was the happiest person I've ever known and seemed to have no worries.He made a large fortune in 1929, but soon lost it all; he made a comeback in 1933, made another fortune, but lost it all.Repeatedly like this, he made money many times, went bankrupt many times, and was cornered by his creditors. Now, I sit in his office, filled with admiration, and wish God could make me like him. As we talked, he handed me a letter he had received that morning to peruse.It was a letter full of angry words, and I would be mortified if I received such a letter.Puzzled, I asked, "Bill, how do you reply to this letter?"

Bill said: "I'll tell you a little trick. When you encounter those troubles, take out a pencil and a piece of paper, write all the troubles in detail, and then put that paper in the drawer under your right hand. Wait a week or two, then take it out and have a look. If it still bothers you the second time you read it, put it back in the same drawer and let it sit there for another two weeks. For a week. It is perfectly safe there, and nothing will happen. But the troubles that come upon you can vary a great deal. I have found that, if I am patient enough, the troubles often go away of their own accord."

This advice made a deep impression on me.I've been using this method for years and the annoyance has really gone down considerably. Time has solved many problems and reduced many worries.