Once, shortly before a major concert before a standing-room-only audience, a member of Arturo Toscanini's orchestra approached the great Italian conductor with an expression of sheer terror on his face.
"Maestro," the musician fretted, "my instrument is not working properly. I cannot reach the note of E-flat. Whatever will I do? We are to begin in a few moments."
Toscanini looked at the man with utter amazement. Then he smiled kindly and placed an arm around his shoulders.
"My friend," the maestro replied, "Do not worry about it. The note E-flat does not appear anywhere in the music that you will be playing this evening. Just stay calm and cool and play your given notes to your best with a smile and confidence on your face. If you don't fear the outcome, you will always do your best".
In just a short dialogue with his master, the member became calm and he learnt a very useful lesson for life that day.
Great achievers like Toscanini always worked out things around what they had and were never worried or anxious for the negative or the unknown. That makes them unique among so many of us.
The next time we find ourselves in the middle of worrying about some matter, we might be wise to stop and ask ourselves what the odds are of the problem really coming to pass. We may be able to go on to something more constructive.
A day spent in worry and without a smile is a day wasted.
