Don't Think. Just Do It.

I spent days being anxious about an upcoming interview on TV. It went well.

I spent some time being nervous about skydiving. It was amazing.

Thinking about driving for the first time in years on the opposite side of the road. Also fine.

Marriage. So far so good!

There’s obviously a pattern here. The anticipation is almost always worse than the event.

I’ve quoted this before but I’ll do it again: “We suffer more in imagination than in reality” - Seneca

I’m definitely not an expert, but there are a few ways to get past the anxiety.

First, it helps to go through it. Not around it. Not delay it. Through it.

Being aware of it, whether to yourself or out loud to someone else, definitely helps.

Or if I’m feeling scientific about it, I’ll look at the statistics. “Oh, the drive to skydiving is more dangerous than the jump itself.” (Okay I’m not sure how to compare miles driven to jumps, but there is some truth to it)

In other words, don’t suffer imagined trouble and you’ll have a clearer mind to focus on your real struggles.

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