The Art of Anxiety.
A strange title.
Well I am looking at anxiety from the opposite side to most therapies.
Bear with me.
If I can show you exactly how to become anxious I know you will see something new in that and this will help you to be more relaxed.
Imagine if you were given a ticket to Mars.
First of all you need to wonder why you got it because clearly you're not even the best astronaut.
That's imposter syndrome.
When you've been trained in being an astronaut.
Secondly you need to panic because your space suit is the wrong color.
The boots aren't trendy and the mask will probably leak.
That's not true because all suits are checked regularly.
Thirdly you need to start breathing fast as the date for the flight comes closer.
You need to raise the alarm because your breathing is faulty even though you've actually convinced yourself that your breathing is fast.
Next you need to tell people that your heart is faulty as it's beating too fast even though you've caused this with fast breathing.
But I'm not as experienced as other astronauts you say.
You are experienced in the technical knowledge that we need and so on and so on.
The ego mind will try anything to keep you safe or to keep you in the same old pattern or to keep you in your comfort zone.
It's all made up.
Don't listen to it.
Grow and thrive.
Just being able to notice that you have anxious thoughts is a game-changer.
This means that you notice when your thoughts are creating a certain feeling and that feeling might give rise to breathing,
Panicky feelings,
Stomachache,
All the other physiological things that come along with anxiety.
And just being able to notice that that's happening is a massive awareness for you.
And then you're able to see sometimes I get anxious in this certain situation and sometimes in a similar situation I really am not getting anxious.
I wonder what the difference is.
Is it the people I'm with?
Is it the thing I'm wearing?
Is it the weather?
But it's all made up.
It's all your ego just trying to get you to come to a safe space.
But actually that's how we grow and thrive is by getting out of our comfort zone.
It's okay to be anxious.
It's okay to be nervous.
That's just a human function.
It just makes us be aware that,
Oh,
Something different is happening.
This is not the pattern I'm used to.
But it's okay to be anxious.
It's okay to feel your feelings.
Just watch.
Just observe.
Just feel the feelings.
It's okay to feel the feelings.
And then next time you feel a bit anxious,
It'll just be that little bit less.
It'll just be reduced a little bit.
You'll be able to observe it a bit more easier.
And so this over time reduces the anxiety and actually enables you to try new things,
Go to new places,
Be with different people.
It's amazing.
So go out there and thrive.
Grow and thrive.
Grow and thrive.
