www.dictionary.com has this to say about the word anxiety:
1. distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune: He felt anxiety about the possible loss of his job.
2. earnest but tense desire, eagerness: He has a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.
3. Psychiatry, a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.
The antonyms are: 1. certainty, serenity, tranquillity
So, how exactly do we manage to reduce anxiety, and restore a healthier mind and body? Well, we seem to have many choices. We just have to be willing to do the homework. The thing is we’ve gathered many beliefs and opinions, and a question to think about is: are all those beliefs and opinions our own or were they passed down to us from here, there, and everywhere, and collected by us? Since we tend to largely base our choices on them, we need to know if they make any sense, and do we want to continue to keep them.
Most of the time we’re unaware of the daily choices we make, and if that’s the case we could be unaware of the way they’re affecting us and causing anxiety. In order to assess the why of anxiety in our life, we have to set aside some time to look deeply at what’s causing it and so we meditate. The answer will come when we give enough time and sincerity in finding the why of the anxiety.
The meaning of the word anxiety seems to indicate a need for a trust in Life, and to reduce anxiety we can begin by establishing a deep trust that there’s a grand reason for our being here. Doubts that say otherwise will come, and we have to let them go. They have power right now or there wouldn’t be any anxiety, as soon as trust in Life is rooted in us the power of our doubts will diminish.
So, how exactly do we establish a trust in Life? As in many situations, what works for one may not work for another. We have a list of choices: Books are wonderful guides; the right book in our hands is a great teacher and will guide us. We simply have to agree to set aside time to learn from them, to find those particular passages that connect to our spirit, and read them over and over until they’re absorbed and become a part of us, or read many books, each one advancing us in our pursuit of trust in Life. We have retreats galore to choose from the world over. We have to agree to go, and if necessary, go again and again. We have to agree with ourselves to not listen to stories – whether they be via tv, a family member, a friend, a newspaper, a movie – that cause anxiety. We find like-minded people who uplift us to hang out with. We choose our friends wisely. We find a way to spiritually unfold, a way that works for us.
Finally they’ll be that day when anxiety slips away and a trust in Life replaces it. If doubts surface once in a while, that’s okay. We can smile now, the doubts are harmless; we’re anchored in trust. Finally we’ve stepped away from the 24/7 three-ring circus we’ve been a part of for so long. We smile again knowing that the journey to rid ourselves of the stagnant beliefs and opinions of the world, and to capture and anchor trust in Life and in ourself offered many benefits. Now we can take a delightfully deep breath; we’re in an A-ha! moment.
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“. . . It is a process of diverting one’s scattered forces into one powerful channel. Just as a useless marsh may be converted into a field of golden corn or a fruitful garden by draining and directing the scattered and harmful streams into one well-cut channel, so, he who acquires calmness, and subdues and directs the thought currents within himself, saves his soul, and fructifies his heart and life.”
-James Allen