The person you truly are is reflected in the choices you make in your life.  If those choices aren’t good, it’s probable that you will have an intimate relationship with Anxiety.  Perhaps the true testament of your character and emotional stability is what you do when no one is watching.  Being thoughtful and considerate of others and the environment around you provides you with a sense of self-worth.   If you aren’t worth much to yourself, then anxiety will likely take control over you.  It’s the little decisions you make when no one’s watching which define you.  Putting your weights back after you use them in the gym, returning the shopping cart to the store or storage area, discarding your trash appropriately are just examples of how easy it can be to become more conscientious.  No matter how small the act, these consistent decisions will give you a sense of accomplishment.  You will feel as though you are progressing in this world and progress breeds happiness.  Happiness in the enemy of Anxiety!

In a world of ever-changing social landscapes, we have become more divided than ever. What could be worse for your psychology and ultimate fulfillment when you see your neighbor as a threat?  If things like skin color, gender or politics define each of us then God help us.  In fact, WE ARE WAY MORE ALIKE than WE ARE DIFFERENT.  We have families that although we love them, they drive us crazy! We love our sports, our food, our music, and our culture.  We celebrate newborns and mourn the passing of family and loved ones. We worship and care for people we love.  We work hard to provide financial stability for our families.  We struggle with anxiety and feel that we are not enough. The list could go on forever and no matter where you live and/or the color of your skin, we are ALL just trying to navigate through our journey with as much peace as possible.  How you see others is your own perspective.  Perhaps if you see people based on their MERITS, you might realize that they are a lot like you.

“Look at a man the way he is and he only becomes worse, but look at him as if he were what he could be, then he becomes what he should be”. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Your BRAIN is like a new apartment, a blank space waiting to be decorated. Your MIND is responsible for the décor.   They may seem like the same, but nothing could be further from the truth.  We all share almost the same brain but each of us has a distinctly different mind and you are fully in charge to choose to do whatever you want with it.  In other words, how you think will decorate the apartment you live in.  Do you want it bright and cheery or dark and gloomy?  It’s your call.

The more you think a certain way, the better your mind gets at it.  Think SH***Y become SH***Y.  Think positive become amazing!!  We are easily programmed to see things negatively.  The challenge is to see things positively because it takes far more work to achieve. The optimist outlives the pessimist by 7 years.  Thinking differently costs you nothing but the rewards are immeasurable!

Have you ever been in a noisy and busy nightclub while trying to have a conversation with someone?  It’s very difficult to concentrate and eventually make a connection.  This is a lot like our lives where we are constantly pounded with external stimuli from TV, internet, social media, etc.  We become so preoccupied with what’s happening with the world AROUND US that we forget to stop the madness and tune into our inner voice which is desperate to connect with us and make us whole.  For many, this disconnect with the truth about who we really are and the purpose we’ve yet to discover has lead to feelings of bitterness, frustration, anger and resentment.
Taking time to isolate yourself away from everything you know is an opportunity to discover and listen to your inner voice.  You may learn to focus on the things that make you feel happy instead of the tsunami of negative things that have destroyed your navigation system.  Isolate, be quiet, and truly listen and you will hear the messages that have been dying to get your attention for years.  Spoiler Alert:  YOU JUST MIGHT FIND PEACE AND HAPPINESS DEEP INSIDE.