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Everyday you get to choose how to live in your mind. 

Most days you go unconscious about the choices you are making. 

You leave extra early because you think there’s going to be traffic. 

You make the same breakfast before work in case making something else takes too long. 

Today, as I was volunteering I noticed two people in my group filled with anxiety. 

Restocking the waters constantly, always moving, not stopping. 

We got little spurts throughout the day where we could talk. 

I soon realized that nobody but me was present. 

They all had anxiety… 

“I just want to count this stuff and go home, let’s count now” 

“There are sooo many people in line, should I start making more popcorn” 

“I want to leave here early so I beat all the traffic after the game” 

All the while I was perfectly content, interacting or not interacting with the world around me. 

I don’t say this to brag, I had anxiety for years. 

As a constant people pleaser anxiety ruled my life. 

As I’ve connected more with myself and the present moment, anxiety has dropped as one of the feelings I feel. 

It’s not in my everyday and I am grateful. 

As I was speaking to these people, I simply said “I used to have really bad anxiety, but now I choose not to and I hope you stop choosing too” 

At first, some seemed offended. 

Then as time went on in the day, people chilled out. 

Restocking slowed down, counting stopped. 

So many people go through their lives thinking that anxiety is some sort of identity. 

They cling to it, make it their personality, or just don’t see how it affects their lives. 

But everyday we can choose to be anxious or we can choose to zoom out, take the universal perspective and be in touch with reality in the present moment. 

All is well, everything is okay. 

Iz Quane