Today I woke up with my good friend anxiety. I am not sure why I have it today, but nevertheless I am going to push onward and choose happiness today. Will it be more difficult than usual? Yes. But that does not mean that I am going to give up!
To all of you who are like me today and have unexplained, or explained anxiety: remember you control your thoughts and you can win the battle!
There are always going to be frightening things happening around us ranging from family crisis all the way to ecomomic scandal and war. However, many of these events are beyond our control. As scary as it seems, there is little we can do to change that fact. However, there is something we can control. Our minds. Our perspectives. Our actions. We can control the way we are effected by personal and world events.
I believe we need to keep our minds permanently focused on the positive and help those around us do the same. When we think about all the bad that is going on around us it is easy to become afraid. Afraid to live our lives to the fullest. Afraid to step beyond our comfort zones. But if we continuethis mindset we will miss the good things in life. There are so many wonderful things going on around us but they are often overshadowed by the bad. We must continue to look for these events and hold them closely to our hearts. We must choose to stay focused on positivity.
The night is here now
Don’t let anxiety win
Dream only in peace
I am feeling very frustrated and anxious about an upcoming teacher assessment that I have to take. I have taken many teacher tests over the past five years, but this one focuses on middle school social studies I have only taught 1 grade in social studies, however the test is going to cover three grade levels. I have been working my tail off trying to learn all the concepts, but when I take the practice quiz questions there always seems to be a new event that I haven’t yet studied. It is so frustrating! I take the test on Thursday and I am feeling discouraged…
Am I feeling overly anxious and upset? Yes. I realize that this mindset is not going to help me learn the content. I need to refocus my mind on what I do know, and eventually I will learn it. In the meantime, I need to get my anxiety under control and take back this situation!
Thank you for letting me vent!
Today may already be filled with stress and anxiety caused by the endless demands of you to-do lists. It may feel overwhelming, but I am here to tell you that you can turn it around. Even though you may have a to-do list a mile long, you can still feel at peace.
Change your mindset. Think positive and know that you will get through it and be stronger! You can do it! Don’t give into thoughts of anger, frustration and bitterness! Flip your thoughts and take back control of your day!
Just relax
And let sleep take you.
Worry not about the cares of the day.
Just relax
And let sleep take you.
I have touched on this topic in the past, but it has been brought to my attention again, and I believe that it is something that should stay in the forefront of our minds. We all go through hardships in our lives, some more than others. There is nothing we can do to change what has happened in our past, but we can change what happens in the future. After we have finally made it to the other side of our struggles, we are able to reflect upon them and discover that we are stronger. We are also able to support others who are going through the same struggles. No one understands more than someone with first-hand experience.
Since my anxiety manifested itself in my adolescence, I have always prayed for it to be taken away. I always thought there was something wrong with me, and that I was doing something wrong in my life because I continued to struggle with it even though I felt as if I continually prayed for God to take my burden. Over the years I became disheartened and fell further into anxiety. There were times when I had no anxiety and I was so thankful! However, it kept returning and I kept wondering what was wrong with me.
After years of thinking I was doing something wrong, God has finally made it clear to me that it is NOTHING I have done. I am not a bad person. I do not lack faith. It is purely a biological imbalance. I do not want to say that it is a flaw, because I do not believe that God makes mistakes. Do I wish that I didn’t have anxiety? More than anything. However, I am at the point where I am able to see that my anxiety has a purpose. There is a reason why my struggle is anxiety. I think that it is so I can help others who suffer from the same affliction. I have always had the gift of gab, combined with the inability to be embarrassed. These qualities combined allow me to open up to others and share my story. Provide hope for those around me who feel as if they have nothing left.
I am here to tell you now that there is something left. You have so much to give, even if you are flawed. Even if you are afraid. We are all afraid at one time or another. What matters is what we decide to do with that fear. Will we allow it to tear us down and defeat us? Or will we use it to propel us forward and overcome the hardships? What will you choose?
Living with anxiety can be a difficult task. Honestly, there are very dark days when we feel as if the world is falling apart. As if we can never feel tranquility or complete happiness. It can feel like we are in a large scale theater show were we must carry out the actions and say the right lines, yet we have no feeling behind them. We can feel trapped in an endless cycle of fear, panic and obsessions.
However, it does not last forever. Though anxiety cannot be cured, it can be trained. We can learn and transform ourselves into masters of our illness! It takes a lot of hard work but it pays off! The darkness does not have to win. First, we must admit that we have a problem and then we can find a path to follow on the road to wellness!
I never thought I could live happily with anxiety! I never thought I would be at peace with my anxiety. Finally, after 29 years of life, I am able to accept myself for who I am! 100%! Anxiety and all!
You can do the same!
Do you ever have times when you feel like you are just a hot mess? I do! I feel like my anxiety takes over and I don’t know what is up from down, and my ADHD kicks into high gear and I have word vomit all day long! Not to mention I am running around, jumping, overly excited, all while being nervous at the same time!? What the heck is that all about?! They seem to contradict each other.
I have realized that everyone has a demon they fight behind closed doors. Everyone struggles with something. So why not laugh about it? Making it seem small and insignificant helps with learning how to cope. Clearly our problems are not just jokes, they are real situations and are very painful. But can’t we take time to step outside ourself and view it in a different light?
Try to view your struggles in a different way. Come at them from a different angle. You may be surprise at what you discover.
I challenge you today to do something positive for someone else. Take a moment to break outside of your normal routine and do something unexpected for someone. It may just be a small thing, but you never know how badly someone may need a positive uplift! Good luck and have a fantastic day. 🙂
The Persistent Platypus 