Sunday, June 5, 2011

help for anxiety- when nothing is certain

All we have to do is look at the weather to verify nothing is certain! This weather can be looked at as a metaphor for our lives. We think that if we make plans and attempt to control every element of these plans that we can actually control what happens in our lives. Well, life is more complex than that! Angeles Arrien, a wonderful cultural anthropologist talks about the importance to being "open to outcome, not attached to outcome". How hard this is for most of us. For those of you with high anxieties about the future, fears about not being able to control the future- you have an opportunity to think about your goals differently... It is all about HOW YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS. You can gain some control over changing your thoughts but it takes lots of practice.
If you develop the mantra-" I am open to outcome- not attached to outcome" you can let go of the tight, constricting hold you have on how you want your future to look.
You have an opportunity right in this moment to say this to yourself. Wow! what a relief not to feel you have to control everything(and everyone). Take a deep breathe and breathe out slowly. You have the time now to do this.