Do you suffer from Paraskavedekatriaphobia?

Just in case you think that the word above is made up and all Greek to you, let me assure you that it is both a genuine word and is in fact derived from three Greek words. Translated into English, the Original Greek words meant, Friday thirteenth Phobia, hence the above word and Malaise of Paraskavedekatriaphobia.

And in case you think that that is a crazy malaise, it would appear that around 67 Million Americans suffer from this malaise to some degree whenever one appears, like it did this June.

And if you are unlucky to suffer this impediment, next year looks like being a bad one for you with three of them then.

According to the Herald Sun Newspaper of that date (June 13^th) “Psychologists believe that Friday the 13th will become a day of bad luck if you focus on it too much. They say that you can create your own bad luck by paying attention to a superstition."

Now I don’t suffer from Paraskavedekatriaphobia and I hope you don’t either, but I do think that the message that the Psychologists are trying to get across in this case, also applies to most things in life that cause us concern too.

Many of our concerns become self-fulfilling prophesies because we concentrate on them too much and they can often be mostly avoided by putting our time, energies and concerns elsewhere. Now while I don’t believe a positive attitude will solve or avoid every problem, I do believe that a positive mind-set and work effort will produce a better way of life for us, than one of always fearing the worst and then being held back by that fear.

So whatever your fear today, whether it be Paraskavedekatriaphobia, or any of the countless other phobias, including the fear of the unknown, let us all be a little more positive in future and far, far less negative. Indeed let us focus on the positives in our lives and not the negatives! What say you? What phobia is holding you back today?

For a change, let me conclude with a little scripture that reinforces this little thesis of mine: “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”(Philippians 4: 8.) Will you do that instead of thinking of your fears all the time?