Anxiety: fight it or ride with it?

Every few months or so I get stuck. I get wobbly or, as was the case this time, I get so thoroughly sick of myself I can’t move forward without offloading some of the spinning thoughts somewhere. In the absence of a pillow talk companion, and to save my friends the tedium of discussing my ground-hog day dramas, I call on Kristine, a psychic I’ve known for years now. She’s not a purple-haired, woo-woo type. Her feet are firmly planted.

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Image via Favim.com

I’m happy to share a little of what she covered with me. It’s great insight in these busy, non-present times. She Skype-messaged me afterwards with these words I share below.

The theme of our chat was my confronting my fear (of relaxing more and caring a little less and getting in touch with what nourishes me during a time that sees me caught up in the outside world so much). I keep going to the ledge, but backing away again. Over and over. I’m ready to jump, to connect with myself and to become a more care-free person, then I baulk because it’s so…. alien. I’ve lived so many decades in the “external” that I’m uncomfortable with the idea of sitting at ease with myself. Kristine reminded me:

“When one is really ready to approach their fear, it does require real commitment. It will require the commitment to truly act and not “react”.” You know, to actually go in deep and think about where I want to head next.

She then reiterated that we’re ready when we don’t have a choice. When the discomfort is more painful than the pain of confronting the fear, we have no choice but to jump. Anything is better than the discomfort!

So how do we get to this point? Well, by simply sitting in it. And embracing the discomfort. Not fleeing from it or fighting it. Saying “yes” to the discomfort, not having judgement, and “loving the stress” and anxiety, even if it’s extremely painful. The discomfort can

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