Fr. T.O. Sebastian
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nxiety is a feeling of nervousness or worry about, something bad that may happen. This impending danger raises an alarm in you and you become alert for any eventuality. You may put up your defense with all you mighty to oppose it or you may choose to flee from it. As long as r you perceive the danger persisting, you are not at ease. You begin to lose your sleep. Your digestive process gets affected. Your intestine tears apart and wreaths in pain. Your heart and lungs accelerate their movement. Anxiety comes to take control of you when you feel that some events or circumstances are out to destroy you. Anxiety may throw up many solutions but those may create more problems than solutions. Anxiety comes with its associates like fear and worry. Where anxiety abides, there will be no peace of mind and the body twists and turns in pain. If this situation is allowed to continue, it affects not only the mind but plays havoc with the body. Many ailments of the body are linked to anxiety. But what is strange about anxiety is that it is caused by some unrealistic thought pattern or desires or beliefs. It is worth considering them and see how they operate in you.If you believe that some of your past bad experiences will certainly control your future events, you will inevitably invite anxiety. This belief denies you the chance of improving in the future or facing the situation in a different way. If you believe that events should turn out as you want and people should do what you want, you are in for great trouble. You will reap anxieties and end up in sleepless rights. Again if you think that all misfortunes are caused by outside factors and not by you, you are putting yourself into troubles. You forget that your own negative attitudes can cause your misfortunes.
If you believe that you can be competent at all levels, you will be disappointed. You forget that competence comes from a long period of trial and error and experience. Everyone grows into competence after a series of trials which end up either in success or in failure. The great achievers are men and women who withstood a number of set backs and continued the march towards their final victory. Finally you are not realistic if you think that others must always praise you and admire you for what you are. You cannot control the thought pattern of others. It is too natural for some to admire you, others to criticize and still others to oppose you. You cannot ask why. Each one is at liberty to exercise their thought pattern and to express their views.
Life becomes impossible if your mind is loaded with the above false beliefs. It is highly unrealistic if you are to expect always and in everything, that persons, events and circumstances will turn out in your favor. You may have many favourable events but you will always have something unfavorable and disadvantageous. Life is a mixture of good and bad, more good than bad. If you have a positive attitude many more things will turn out to be good. Often it is your attitude that gives the bias or the tinge. If your perception of an event is positive it will turn out to be good. Finally you will understand that anxiety is not a good companion for life. Often it is your belief system that troubles your mind and creates anxiety.