Don't Worry...Be Happy!

 I am reading a really great book right now called, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. It has been such a great read, and so encouraging. As I have been reading, I have been learning about different cultures that I quite frankly was not aware of at all. They all have such interesting customs and rituals. The information I will be sharing with you comes from my study from this book and also from the internet. I hope you find it as interesting as I did!

On the Greek Island of Naxos the pace of life is unhurried, olive trees line the island's rocky shores as turquoise waters shimmer in the harbor. This island is largely untouched by technology and the information age. Naxos has remained the same for centuries. When you step on to this beautiful island, I am told that the first thing you notice are the string of beads worn by many people. You will see the old, the young, the rich, the poor...everyone wears these beads. They are called "komboloi beads" or also known as "worry beads". Komboloi beads are a very old Greek custom. The islanders finger the beads and moved them around their necks or wrists all day long. The beads are intended to relieve stress and reduce worry. It is expected that while wearing these beads one will experience comfort, and that in the process of handling these precious beads it will cut down on all anxiety.

Komboloi Beads - or "Worry Beads"

 I found it intriquing and when I looked up the pictures of the Island of Naxos, I fell in love with its beauty. No wonder the pace is slow and unhurried. It is gorgeous there! I think my worries would fade as well. Maybe I should visit just to see? Well, these beads may be a quaint ancient custom, but we too have our own "worry beads" rituals that we may not even realize we partake in. For instance, we may bite our nails, pace back and forth, bite the inside of our mouth (I have a horrible habit of that...it's not attractive!!), we may lie awake at night (yep, that has been me too!!). We spend hours twisting our mental fingers around a specific circumstance or worry...trying to manipulate it, figure it out, solve it...yet we don't seem to quite figure it out. We do all of this because of worry!

Now, understand I am and have been a number one offender of this. So I am in no way preaching to anyone! I am sharing what I have learned, mostly because I find it helpful to myself and think, "hmmmm, maybe someone else will get a kick out of this too"...so hopefully you will enjoy! =) Over the years, the use of komboloi beads has declined, but it looks like it is making a comeback! These ancient stress reducers are showing up all over the place and not just in Naxos.




These komboloi beads come in many colors, while amber is the most common color.

 Komboloi beads were first used in other cultures for the sole purpose of counting prayers. Bead by bead, prayer by prayer, the komboloi beads were an outward expression of a godward heart. Today, you can find executives in Armani suits flick their fingers over ivory beads and smooth black stones...hip young Greeks twirl their strings of beads, comparing styles and price tags...I wonder if they truly know where the komboloi beads originated?!

We have a choice today as to what we can do with our worry. We can lift it up in prayer...or we can choose to worry. I am learning that when I surrender my concerns and worries to God, it lightens my load. When I choose to worry about things, I become stressed, sick, unstable, confused, discouraged, unhappy...the list can go on and on. Today is all I have. This moment is all I can focus on...and to truly LIVE in this life, I need to let go of my worry and start enjoying life!