Hello,
Anxiety,
My steadfast friend.
You are a constant companion and well-intentioned.
You have always been there to protect me,
And you have beaten yourself up mercilessly when the blows of life have landed on me.
You put so much pressure on yourself to be perfect,
I should know.
You took on the impossible task of trying to get me to avoid the rocks and the road,
But it turns out that the road is made of rocks.
So shake that load off your shoulders,
Even if just a millimeter,
Even if just for an instant.
Soften the muscles of your face.
Release your tongue from the grip of your teeth.
May you forgive yourself when you feel swallowed by anxiety.
Old habits require consistent effort over time to change,
And each time you practice returning your attention to the present,
Each time you release the tension in your muscles,
Is a victory.
Forgive yourself as many times as it takes.
You don't have to be the best at everything.
You are enough,
Just as you are.
Even if you don't believe that,
Allow yourself to imagine what it might feel like to release yourself from the pressure to be perfect.
What might you do without that burden?
How might it feel to know that you are lovable just as you are,
Without needing to conform to the social expectations that you strive to see,
Like a code written by everyone else that could keep you safe if only you could read it,
If only you could anticipate all the right things to say and do?
You feel like a foreigner who doesn't speak the language,
But you are native and fluent in the universal mother tongue of love.
You can undo the physiological patterns of stress that are so familiar to your body,
And replace them with a baseline of relaxation,
Instead of anxiety being your emotional home.
You will transform yourself more and more each time you practice.
Imagine how you might feel if your nervous energy was reclaimed as your pure source energy to use for what you want,
Instead of dissipated as you send out feelers to scan every scenario,
Getting energetically stuck in past experiences and anticipating future interactions.
Life is not scripted,
It is improv.
Showing up is an act of radical courage.
Welcome your energy back into your body,
Letting the energy of others flow back to them in turn.
Their energy was never your responsibility to carry.
Recycle your anxious energy into what you need,
Compost it to nourish your inner garden.
Do this as often as you need to,
Visualizing your energy pouring back into you,
Noticing its texture and color.
I see you glowing,
Beautifying the world with your presence.
In knowing that your energy is seen,
Vital,
And appreciated,
May you feel more of the vibrancy that you already have within you.
May you shine ever brighter as you light the way.
