“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.” (Benjamin Franklin)

Worry is the most useless emotion that we can exhibit. It sucks away your time, energy, joy and hope. Yet most of us indulge in it on a daily basis because we are a country of world class worriers. The 24 hour news cycle and 500 cable channels are partially to blame. Print media and the internet don’t help either. Everywhere you turn, you can find reason to fret about the future of your child.

The irony is stark. When you spend the small amount of time you have with your child worrying about what they might become or what they might do – you miss out on who they are right now. And what’s worse is that the more uptight you are about a particular fear, the greater the chances that you’ll actually create the outcome you were hoping to avoid. So, listen to the wise words of one of America’s greats – Today, keep in the sunlight. Notice instead of needle and observe instead of obsess.