"Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag, and smile, smile, smile."

Pretty good advice from a World War I English marching song, written to boost morale. Even now, its message helps to keep all of us moving in a positive direction, whatever the challenge, no matter whether the worry be — war, work, family, money, health or community.

Lately, however, seems like our old kit-bag is so crammed full of troubles that there's no more room for packing!

An old "Peanuts" comic strip aptly illustrates the width and breadth of debilitating doubt and worry that each of us experiences on a daily basis: In one sequence, Lucy addresses Charlie Brown: "Well, you certainly look cheerful today, Charlie Brown." "Oh yes," Charlie Brown replies, "I'm not always depressed, you know. Every now and then I have a good day. It's between those nows and thens where I have all my trouble."

Indeed, we all have "blue" days. Experiencing discouragement, doubt, irritability and worry are part of life's fabric. The longer the time and distance between "those nows and thens," the tougher and more unpleasant life can be.

It takes courage to tackle life's relentless chores, including our daily doses of doubt and worry. Sometimes, we are comforted, in part, by our knowledge of the travails that other historical figures have borne with courage and fortitude. For example, Abraham Lincoln suffered great bouts with worry and depression. He was personally familiar with grief and tragedy. As a young lawyer, he lost in his first run for the legislature. He tried business and failed. The first love of his life died. Elected to Congress in 1846, he was not re-elected. He failed in a first bid for a federal job. He failed in a first bid for the U.S. Senate. He failed in a first bid for a vice presidential nomination. When he was president, America was torn asunder by the Civil War. While in office, he lost a son to typhoid fever.

Yet, he never hated anyone, never sought revenge, never lost touch with the common people and never gave up.

Henry Drummond, a geologist from Scotland who lived from 1851 to 1897, had a wonderful and courageous methodology to defeat worry. Regardless of your spiritual persuasion and beliefs, his advice is a sound basis for coping with worry. Drummond offered three guidelines:

1. "Pray! Seek wisdom and counsel from the one who created us all." He also reminds us that Proverbs 3:5-6 gives good direction: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."

2. "Think! God gave us a mind to figure many things for ourselves." Drummond advises that we get all the facts from all sides.

3. "Talk and listen to wise people, and think about what they say, but do not consider their decisions or counsel as final. Let it be grist for the mill, an alternative for consideration." And, he cautions, beware of the bias of your own will.