😱 How to experience less anxiety
Recently I heard someone say,
“Depression is fixation on the past. Anxiety is fixation on the future. ”
I loved that definition of anxiety. When I've struggled with anxiety, it has been for three primary reasons.
1. When I'm not accepting who I am
I'm 6'7: Never going to be a jockey.
I have dyslexia: I should buy audio books instead of traditional books.
I have ADD: I should focus on work that allows me to be active.
I don't like to be alone: I should do work that allows me to connect with people.
I'm not analytical: I should do work that allows me to think big, dream and create.
On the other side of every deficiency, there's a superpower.
2. When I'm not accepting who other people are
When I try to make people who I want them to be, I damage relationships. When I accept people for who they are, my expectations become more realistic.
That doesn't mean I don't have boundaries. It simply means I don't expect them to act counter to where they are in their journey.
3. When I'm not accepting the reality of what is
I live in two worlds. The world as it is and the world I've created in my head.
Many times, these two worlds tell different stories. The world in my head allows me to be the judge, jury, and executioner. Be thankful you don't live in that world.
I have to continually remind myself that in any given situation, I only have half of the necessary information. That fact disqualifies me from being God.
Curiosity and Creativity have put a stop to much of the anxiety in my life.
I approach who I am, who others are and the reality of the world around me with Curiosity. This allows me to operate in a less bias, less prejudice way.
Once I have absorbed information with curiosity, I then engage it with Creativity by asking,
“What’s an interesting way to make this better?”
When I approach the world with Creativity and Curiosity, I experience less anxiety, improve myself, help others and focus on adding value to the world around me.
✌️️&❤️