Current psychological thinking and ancient wisdom tell us that the unconscious mind ignores negatives. Under pressure, if you repeat to yourself silently 'don't blush', your subconscious will only hear the word blush, and you know what happens next. The unconscious mind can't process the "I do not want to..." and so makes you act as if you were saying "I want to..." Therefore if you are predominantly using negatives in your internal thoughts, you will get just what you don't want.
Of all your contemporaries, relatives, contacts and associates, think about the ones you could call high achievers. Are they the cheery, optimistic ones who look for the good in everything? I'll bet they are the happiest. Do the lower achievers grumble about their employment, their boss, their responsibilities, their finances, always blaming everyone else for their problems? I suspect that you'll find this to be generally true. Those who think optimistically are the most content. Or possibly, those who are the most content think optimistically.
This article is not about positive thinking, it is about imagination and focused thinking. We all know from our own experience that it's hard to remain optimistic when you're feeling anxious, or worried. And it's hard to break out of those states to return to positivity. Practically without exception, whatever takes up your thoughts, and dominates your attention, is the thing that you get most of. Return to consider your acquaintances. Does their life reflect what's on their mind most? And you, do you get lots of what you mostly dwell on.
I could cite many real-life illustrations to back up this notion. Those who overcome physical restrictions to live a fulfilling life; people whose persistence and hard work compensate for lack of skill or talent; survivors of deadly illnesses who did so because they were determined to live on; successful inventors who refused to give up on a design. Their ambitions and ideas dominate their thinking, and action naturally follows thought. The victorious overcome uncertainty by focusing unswervingly on what it is that they want, and imagining what life will be like if they have it or achieve it. They do this without consciously knowing they are doing it
So, I believe that the way to address anxiety is not by focusing on anxiety, or calling therapy for it Anxiety Management' or Stress Management. That just loads the dice against success and focuses on the very thing that you are trying to bring under control. And what you focus on you'll get in abundance. Anyone, including yourself, that labels you as an anxious, or nervous, or worried type of person, is making it difficult for you. Don't spend all your time trying not to be anxious. I've realised that how to treat anxiety is by focusing thoughts, imagination and effort on trying to become a calm and composed person. Tranquillity Management would be a better way to describe it.
So redirect your thoughts to those of composure and peace, and if the anxiety starts to arise, don't fight it, neutralize it by refocusing as best you can on being calm. Look for all the methods for achieving tranquillity that you can; there is a lot of literature out there in the marketplace and lots of free advice. You'll have to practice to keep tranquillity at the forefront of your thoughts, particularly when life throws you challenges. But you'll lose nothing by giving it a go and trying to make it a habit. Perseverance pays off in the end.
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