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friend worried about the potential hassle, expense, and possible outcome. What did Sarah’s thoughts accomplish? Zero. Zilch. Nada. This brings us to the second point about worrying. Suppose you’re worrying about seeing an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend tomorrow. Let’s even assume that it really is going to happen and that it’s not going to be pleasant. It’s a drag, but you are going to have to deal with it—tomorrow. In other chapters, I talk about some constructive ways you might anticipate such a meeting, such as visualizing an ideal encounter, but hear me on this: worrying is simply not constructive. Worrying today about something you have to deal with tomorrow just makes today a drag. You may have this interaction in person tomorrow, but you don’t have to have it today in your mind. Really. Isn’t having the dreaded encounter once, in real time, enough? I’m not trying to be casual about it, and I know worry is a hard habit to break—but it’s worth the effort. The same logic holds true after you’ve dealt with a difficult person. Think about it. Let’s say you’ve now had that confrontational meeting with your ex. If you continue to worry about how it went, about what you said and didn’t say, about what your ex said, about