What you think in your head is either causing you anxiety or causing you peace of mind. 

Read that again please;-)

The thoughts in your head create your anxiety. We went over this process in “What is Anxiety” but as you begin to conquer your anxiety that idea needs to be in the forefront of your mind.

Note, we are not saying that your thoughts aren’t valid or real, we are just saying that, if you are experiencing anxiety, they aren’t benefitting you so it’s time to start working with those thoughts to make things better.

Recall that anxiety is a feeling of fear because you feel threatened in some way (Eek! A spider!). You are therefore interpreting a situation in a way that feels threatening to you and you become very afraid (It is terrifying – look at its fangs- I could be bitten!). Your thoughts are what interpret an event and turn it into the corresponding feelings (It’s going to eat me so I feel unsafe.).

The mind is extremely powerful. Your mind can get you thinking the worst as much as it can convince you of the very best (The spider is hungry for me! Versus: That spider is so adorable – it’s part of nature’s wonders.).

Do you want your thinking to be the problem or the solution?

You have that choice. When you choose to be worried and anxious over something, you choose a problem. Your thinking is usually the problem, not the situation. Of course, do not confuse this with thinking something false like, scorpions make good pets. Scorpions are dangerous and likely would not make good pets. Our thoughts need to be two things: based in reality AND beneficial. So, thinking that a scorpion is good to have snuggling in bed with you is not based in reality. Likewise, thinking that a spider that you see across the room might bite you could be true, but not beneficial for you to think. The thought, That spider across the room is too far away to bite me is just as true and more beneficial.

Now that you have been reminded of the power of your thoughts, let’s start conquering your anxiety. In the next post you will meet the Hungry Beast and then you will learn how to kill it.

POST QUESTION: Write a thought that is both beneficial and true.