Your Anxiety Can Transform Into a Beautiful Gift

This article about, “The Gift Of Anxiety” was amazingly insightful about a new way to look at anxiety. In so many instances, our tendency is to try to find ways to wipe out the symptoms of anxiety…that is we try to just “make it go away”. We do this by “talking ourselves” out of the anguish we feel, or we might take some kind of  medication.  This is a “quick fix”  “band-aid” approach. In the short run, it works,  but it is not really effective in the long run.  The core issue that created the anxiety is not addressed. Instead of this reaction , in this article it is suggested that we actually look more closely at what we are anxious about.  We can tell how important this core issue is, by the strength of our reaction.  In a panic attack, for example, we feel as though we are going to die.  Therefore the panic attack has come in response to something has happened to us that is particularily difficult..something that may have happened to us a number of times in our life.  Perhaps a core issue of ours has been ignited.  We need to then look at this issue more closely.  A way to really operationalize this is to start a contemplative practice, such as a mindfulness meditation practice, for example.  Also helpful is journaling, or starting a dream journal and getting some help with analyzing your dreams. The key insight in this article is that we look at our anxiety as a gift, not as a curse.  The anxiety is a “wake up” call, to listen to ourselves in a very deep and deliberate way.  The work is hard…but the payoff is enormous.