subject: Anxiety A Birds-eye View! [print this page] Oh no, my car payment's due next week, and I don't have the money! What's my mother going to say when I tell her that I dont want to attend the family reunion from hell? Is my father going to be angry when he finds out that I want to become a freelance artist instead of a doctor? How on earth am I going to complete a presentation for the Smith account in the next two weeks? And, even if I somehow manage to pull that off, what if it bombs and we lose the account?
We've all been there! You know what I'm talking about, right? As human beings, we worry about, dread, or fear future events and outcomes. Yes, in simple terms, we suffer from anxiety. We work ourselves into a nervous, heart palpitating, nail biting, stomach aching, cold sweating tizzy over hypothetical, speculative, future-based scenarios which, in most cases, never manifest. Question is; how can we stop? Well, let's take a look at anxiety from a "Birds-Eye View." You may be wondering what birds could possibly teach us, masters of the universe, about overcoming anxiety. In my opinion, actually, a great deal. Let me explain. Unlike human beings, birds tend to trust instinct and intuition. In other words, they don't worry! Ah, (cognizant flash) hold on just a cotton picking second! Maybe, just maybe, theres something we can learn from our fine, feathered friends, after all.
Ironically, while you're worried about making ends meet, birds always seem to find what they need. It's true! Ponder this; have you ever looked out your kitchen window and witnessed a sparrow or chickadee having a panic attack, breaking out in a cold sweat, nervously chewing its little talons, or lighting up a cigarette as a result of worrying about where it's next seed will come from? I haven't! They always seem to find the seeds, but the universe doesnt just drop them in the nest. So, action is required. In contrast, when we domesticate birds, cage them, subject them to anxious behavior, and teach them vulgar language, then Paulie wants a Xanax instead of a cracker!
Im not claiming that the solution for overcoming anxiety is merely to be, pardon the pun, as free as a bird. Obviously, birds are here on Earth to be birds, nothing more or less. We, on the other hand, are meant to learn and evolve. Somewhere along the evolutionary process, though, most of us forgot how to use instinct and intuition. If, however, we re-awaken those skills and learn how to utilize them in the active process of co-creating and/or co-directing the flow of life as we are evolving, then anxiety becomes a moot point.
Basically, anxiety is the inability to trust the flow of life. Without question, if you could trust that your needs would be met, your best effort would always be enough, or you werent concerned with the opinions of others, you wouldnt be anxious! And, that would be a pretty good place to be, right? To get there, you must learn to not only trust the flow of life, but you must also learn to co-direct it. Ultimately, it boils down to taking action. You either attack the anxiety, or the anxiety attacks you! If you run from anxiety, it will hunt you down, like "Charger" the flame throwing Decepticon robot from hell, and set you ablaze! If youve ever experienced an anxiety or panic attack, you can relate. To dowse the flames of anxiety, youve got to take action. But, in addition, you must use your instinct and intuition or internal GPS to navigate the correct course. Sure you can use analytics, but how's that worked out for you in the past? I'll bet, time and time again, it's landed you a 9.9 on the "Oops, I Screwed this up Again-O-Meter," hasn't it? Pure instinct and intuition often prove to be far more accurate and reliable.
In closing, perhaps the best way to succinctly sum it up is; take action to become as free as a bird, but use instinct and intuition to determine the correct flight path and destination. And, soon, youll be anxiety free!
