Bangalore: In the spring of 1871, a young man picked up a book and read twenty-one words that had a deep effect on his future. He was a medical student at the Montreal General Hospital, and was worried about passing the final examination. He was also worried about what to do in the future, how to build up a medical practice, and how to make a living. These twenty-one words helped him to become the most famous physician of his generation. That's not all. He organized the world-famous John Hopkins School of Medicine. He was knighted by the King of England. When he died, two huge volumes containing almost 1,500 pages were required to tell the story of his life. This man was Sir William Osler, and the twenty-one words that helped him live a life free from worry were. "Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand." Do what lies clearly at hand This above quote from the Scottish satirical writer Thomas Carlyle that changed the life of Sir Osler has a significant lesson for investors as well. This is because worrying is something most investors do. Even I used to worry a lot when I was starting out as an investor in 2003. Whenever I was about to invest in a stock or a mutual fund, I would remember things that made me feel scared. As I look back to those times, I rue over the lost chances to buy some of India's most wonderful companies at throwaway prices. Not because I did not know about them but because I was worried about the future. Most of those stocks have moved up more than 5 times even after I factor in the 2008 crisis. The point I want to get to you is that worry is a silent killer, in life and in investing. Medical experts suggest that constant worry can cause people to suffer from stomach ulcers and heart problems. When it comes to investing, constant worry can keep you away from opportunities that can help grow your wealth significantly in the long run. I've met people who worry so much about investing in stocks that they'll abuse me the moment I tell them why this worry won't get them anywhere. Stop worrying and start investing See, I am not saying that you must go all out and invest in stocks blindly. You must worry while parting with your hard-earned money, but that worry must be constructive... constructive in the sense that it must lead you to make the right investing decisions. So you must Worry about finding the right kind of stocks Worry what will happen if your decision goes wrong (so that you know what corrective action you'd take) Worry about getting emotionally attached with your investing decisions (when you are aware about your emotions, you are able to control them instead of being controlled by them) Worry about falling into the trap of bad investment advice (this will lead you to ask the right questions to your investment advisor so that you're able to identify the right one from a majority of bad ones) Worry about being ignorant of how to analyze a company before investing in its stock (so that you prepare yourself to make educated decisions) Mahatma Gandhi said, 'There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.' So stop worrying about your financial future. Instead start worrying (and working) if you are not working on it right now. The author is Vishal Khandelwal, promoter of Safal Niveshak. Vishal, with his vast experience as a stock market analyst trains people to become sensible and successful investors. You can read his articles and reach him through http://www.safalniveshak.com/>)