What makes you most anxious?
Anxiety makes you not enjoy the moment. It makes you worry about the future and the past while you fail to acknowledge the good as you pass by on the road, as you relate with others in the workplace or the house, and as you race to accomplish your chores. The time goes by, you aspire for more satisfaction but when they come, the same anxiety robs you of the needed rest and relaxation needed to savor the moments.
What makes me most anxious is the desire to make everything perfect. I not only want to be perfect in what I do but also expect everyone to do all they do in a perfect fashion. To get rid of this source of anxiety, I have employed a few tactics:
- Learning from mentors made me realize that “perfection is the enemy of good”. Sometimes, you need to accept what is good enough in order to preserve peace and harmony.
- I may demand from myself a high level of perfection, but to demand such from others is a herculean task set up to fail. I literally have no control over others and cannot do it all alone. I tell myself, “John, relax. It is only one life!”
- I keep reminding myself that even if I attained perfection, maintaining that level of perfection in a world that is prone to decay will be difficult.
So, I no longer fret over what I cannot change nor seek to control everything about my life. I have learned to accept others as they are, find a way to work with them and do what I can do knowing that good is often enough. I am learning to relax, handle my emotions appropriately, and let the joy of each moment filter into my soul.
These days, I can hear the conversations around me. I can notice the sunset and feel the gentle breeze as I walk between the high-rise buildings of New York City. I can see the smiles and the frowns on faces around me. I am learning to silence the rumbling waves within so that I can enjoy the little moments of the day as they flicker past.
I am much more relaxed. Life is good.
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”
1 Peter 5:7.
Life, Health and Prosperity 