If you are reading this, the odds are pretty high that you are anxious or uncomfortable or afraid. But that’s not all you are. You are more than just anxiety, no matter how bad you feel right now.
Anxiety is a thing you experience. We’ve talked about this in earlier editions of The Anxious Morning. But anxiety is not a thing you have, nor is it what you are. You are more than this. You have always been, and always will be more than this. Sometimes, we just lose sight of that.
One of the most important principles in recovery is that more than one thing can be true at the same time. This means that you can be anxious and uncomfortable, but that you can also be:
A painter
A parent
A musician
A teacher
A chef
A gardner
A partner or spouse
A friend
A sibling
A builder
or an almost infinite number of other things …
at the same time.
These are the roles you play in life. They are reflective of who you are, what you stand for, and what is important to you. They matter. They are substantive.
Anxiety, on the other hand, has nothing to do with who you are what is important to you other than trying to attack that and cast doubt upon it. Anxiety is just a state, and it does not define your entirety as a valuable human being.
Today on Instagram I posted a reel that asks the community to post pictures, video, or words that show the world who we are beyond anxiety. I asked everyone to use the hashtag “IAmMore”. Its only been about an hour, and the response has been quite amazing. Watching people step outside of anxiety for a few minutes to remind themselves, and the rest of us, who they really are, has been emotional, and even inspiring for me.
So when you are done reading this, take a minute and consider that you are more than anxiety. Take a quiet moment to remind yourself of what else you are, and have always been. It matters. It’s OK to be anxious today, but also … be more. Because you can.
“Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing. -Ron Swanson
Every Friday I’ll share one of my favorite quotes. They’ll often have direct application in recovery, but sometimes they’re just generally funny, inspiring, or thought-provoking. I hope you enjoy them.
65. You Are More Than Anxiety