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Anxiety

Me: What could possibly go wrong?

Anxiety: Sit down, I made a whole PowerPoint.

That, my friends, is the entire mood.

There I was excited, motivated, maybe even slightly delusional flirting with possibility. Ready to try something bold. And then came the uninvited plus one to every dream I’ve ever had, anxiety. Not only did it show up, it brought slides. Animations. Bullet points. A section called Let’s review every past failure.

It didn’t even let me get snacks first.

Anxiety is Extra. And That’s Not Always a Bad Thing.

Look, anxiety gets a bad rap. But it’s not evil. It’s just…thorough. It means well. It wants to keep you safe. But its methods are outdated. 

Anxiety is that team member who was hired for risk management but now wants final say on all your decisions personal, professional, and spiritual. It doesn’t just forecast storms. It builds hurricanes in your head out of partly cloudy skies.

And before you know it, your brain is in a mandatory safety meeting you didn’t ask for, walking through worst case scenarios like they are facts

• What if you fail?

• What if they laugh?

• What if this changes nothing?

• What if this changes everything?

Fear and excitement feel almost the same.

Your body doesn’t know the difference. Racing heart? Sweaty palms? Tunnel vision? Could be anxiety. Could be adrenaline. Could be that coffee you drank on an empty stomach.

The point is just because anxiety shows up doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It could mean something’s about to stretch you, grow you, or change the game completely.

The presence of fear isn’t a red light. It might just be a spotlight. You are allowed to listen but you don’t have to obey. The trick isn’t pretending anxiety doesn’t exist. It’s realizing it doesn’t get to lead.

You can let anxiety pack its little overnight bag of doubts and come along for the ride, but it’s not touching the aux cord, it’s not giving directions, and it sure as hell isn’t driving.

Try this instead

• Name it. Hey there, doomsday voice. I see you.

• Normalize it. This means I care. This means it matters.

• Reframe it. What if it does go right?

• Move anyway. I don’t have to feel ready to take the next step.

The next time anxiety cues up a dramatic presentation, you have permission to interrupt.

Raise your hand and say

• Thank you for your concern. You are dismissed.

• Actually, I’ve got my own PowerPoint, Reasons I Am Capable As Hell.

• Or simply, What if I’m already enough for this?

The final slide.

Me: What could possibly go wrong?

Anxiety: Sit down, I made a whole PowerPoint.

You: Thanks, but I brought a mic. I’m telling a different story today.

Let anxiety build slides. Don't let it stop you from building a life.

ღ Chi

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