From Merriam-Webster:
"When life gets frenetic, things can seem absolutely insane - at least that seems to be what folks in the Middle Ages thought."
"Frenetik, in Middle English, meant "insane." When the word no longer denoted stark raving madness, it conjured up fanatical zealots."
"Today its seriousness has been downgraded to something more akin to hectic. But if you trace frenetic back through Anglo-French and Latin, you'll find that it comes from Greek phrenitis, a term describing an inflammation of the brain."
"Phrēn, the Greek word for "mind," is a root you will recognize in schizophrenic. As for frenzied and frantic, they're not only synonyms of frenetic but relatives as well. Frantic comes from frenetik, and frenzied traces back to phrenitis."
Why am I looking up "frenetic" on this otherwise peaceful Friday? Because I too often slip from peaceful to frenetic, trying to get too many things accomplished while depending on people who are unable to meet deadlines as promised.
Frustration of this kind sneaks in and robs me of inner peace if I let it, so I'm going to take a deep breath now, and do what I can and stop worrying so much about what I can't. It will all get done in its own sweet time. Otherwise, I will slip into stark raving madness--and what good is that?
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