I read something interesting in the Wall Street Journal a while ago:
“The theologian Paul Tillich wrote about the difference between fear and anxiety.
Fear is of something, you can name it and face it, and in the facing of it lift your own morale, show yourself what’s in you.
Anxiety is amorphous; it doesn’t quite have an object, it’s a state. And so, it’s harder to shake and no empowering necessarily comes from it.
A lot of people this year will have to break down a generalized anxiety into specific fears and deal with them courageously.”
That clarity got me thinking about fears and anxieties and how they affect my life.
For instance, have you ever had one of “those” days?
Seemingly, everything you do or try is just not going your way. It just feels like one gut punch after another. Your attitude begins to sag.
Feelings of self-doubt and frustration begin to creep in, a dark cloud of expectations.
In those times, it’s important to remember the quotation above. We cannot control what happens around us or how others respond or react.
But we can control how we take that information in and what we do with it. We can choose to focus on the positive, not let it permeate our long-term outlook, and not let it poison our attitude.
This week, a long-time client and friend called me. I was unavailable, so she left a voicemail. It had been a busy day, and I did not get to that message until the end of the day.
As I opened the voicemail, I remember my immediate thought was “What am I going to have to deal with now? What other issue needs to be resolved?!”
“What bad news is coming now?!”
Instead, she simply called to thank me for allowing her son to intern with us.
“Jeremy, I cannot tell you how much your willingness to spend some time with our son and allow him to learn what you do in a real environment has meant to our family. You are a good friend, and I am so glad you are in our life…”
And just like that, my mindset changed. The clouds lifted. I had perspective again.
Stay focused on all of the good in your life.
Be grateful. Take inventory.
Do our best to ignore those little negative thoughts that try to creep in.
But when they do, seek out that one message, action, or even person that will turn it all around, just like that.
Most of all, never waste your resilience.
The human condition is wired to fight, to persevere, to win.
And I promise you that we will persevere and win together!
-J.D.