Another Way to Think About Anxiety
I want you to take a moment to consider this possibility:
The things that make you feel anxious are the things that the universe is giving you the opportunity to master in this lifetime.
It is asking you to master loosening the grip that your stressors have on you.
It is asking you to master surrendering to the human experience which demands feeling the complex array of emotions that encompass our existence.
It is asking you to master the art of recognizing that your thoughts are not who you are, and to master interrupting them with your awareness when they attempt to pull you into darkness.
On the other side of your unconscious responses to outside stressors is freedom in the form of self-assurance, confidence, and adaptability to the unpredictable tidal waves of life.
Life is an open ocean. When we start looking for an island upon which to anchor our boat — whether it’s a job, a relationship, a home, or other, we are feeding ourselves a fallacy of certainty. In reality, we can only ever be “anchored” to our own self-trust, which is only built with experience. That way, when the storm hits, we can stand in the knowledge that we will be able to take the wheel and set sail until it passes.
When you can befriend uncertainty and rely on the Knowing that what is happening around you is working out in your favour, learning how to look for the Universe’s hand in your circumstances becomes much easier. Some people call this “toxic positivity” or “blind optimism”, but I believe that this is the true formula for taking control of your life. If you can cultivate the ability to reflect on who you want to become, and how your circumstances contain the opportunity for you to build that version of yourself, the more you can show up to life in a way that honours what you want your existence to mean.
As Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you”.
Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you.
— Jean-Paul Sartre
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