Attitudes And Anxiety

Webster's dictionary describes anxiety as being overly concerned about the future. It is easy to set yourself up for anxiety by dwelling on what might go wrong and believing you can't master whatever situations may confront you. Folks frequently believe they can't make decisions or act on them to successfully complete their life tasks. When we believe we are not capable of succeeding, we look into the future and feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the tasks ahead.

The roots of anxiety are buried in the fertile soil of beliefs, that we are somehow inadequate, inferior or unworthy. On some unconscious level of being, we believe we do not measure up and are not worthy of achieving success. Many people have no idea of what they can achieve because they have never explored their abilities.

William James said, "Change your attitudes, and you change your circumstances." Attitudes have a profound effect on something as incapacitating as anxiety. Anxiety is an attitude. Some self-examination will soon reveal the deep-seated influence your attitudes play in your life.

A poem about self-esteem says: "my personal suffering or personal well-being depends upon the attitude I choose to have." Anxiety can be a frightening and debilitating experience that leaves one feeling drained and fearful of the next attack. A change of attitude is the key to a more serene and fulfilling life. Choosing to make changes in the structure of our lives is a simple, yet not always easy matter.

If you suffer from anxiety, there are steps you can take to counter it. For example, you can resolve to turn your stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Realizing that no beliefs are written in stone is fundamental to taking the steps. All beliefs are learned. If you have a belief that is not working for you, you can adopt a new and more useful one to take its place. Anxiety is another name for a belief in helplessness.

In the past, I suffered severe anxiety attacks. Gradually changing my attitude about my inability to cope brought me relief and the discovery of potentials I never dreamed I had. Welcome to the world of turning lemons into lemonade.

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