Something I have learned from 2 weeks of strenuous exams...

Humans have a tendency to worry, to be afraid, to feel failure and depression.  These emotions stem from real circumstances, real difficulties.  But, we also have a tendency to blow them up in our minds more than is necessary or helpful.  Such worry and anxiety can make us less able to do well in our jobs or in our relationships.  And then, in turn we worry and are anxious more!  A cycle results.

Religion, at its best, tries to break that cycle, or even to put a virtuous one in its place.  It asks us to be grateful for what we already have.  It asks us not to worry or be fearful, but to live in the present and for the needs of others.  It reminds us that the beauty of life is to express love.  It impresses upon us that we need not reach a certain picture of ourselves or our lives in order to be a good person and to be happy.  It gives us perspective.