5 WAYS TO LEARN TO ENJOY ALL THE GOOD FORTUNE THAT COMES YOUR WAY!
I had no idea I had anxiety, but a recent session with a client brought back a compelling truth - I had "Happiness Anxiety!" For years I literally would be scared to revel in the goodness or a stroke of good luck in fear that it wouldn't last or that something awful is bound to follow.
Did you know that there is no gene for anxiety? So THIS IS LEARNED behavior. From the moment of our conception, we are inundated with information and opinions of people around us. At times, consciously or subconsciously, we choose to have a particular experience or erroneous conclusion rule our reality.
Growing up, I remember being told that if I laughed too much, I would end up crying. Looking back, I think it was a trick adults used to control unruly kids. So I drew a "logical" conclusion that something bad is sure to follow if something good happens. It's like I believed someone is keeping track. The "Opposite" episode from Seinfeld ultimately reinforced my conclusion that someone is keeping track! If you recall, Jerry was talking about losing a job and getting a new one right away. He even broke even while gambling. His take on it was a little more optimistic than mine.
Anytime we give in to a particular train of thought, that neural pathway gets reinforced. Picture a trail in the woods that many people have walked before you. It's a lot easier to follow that trail than to create a new one. This one feels safer and even familiar. Imagine now that it snowed, and now it's up to you to create a path. It's more difficult, but you get to say which way is best for you! So what can we do in our lives to revel in our joy?
BE AWARE THAT IT'S HAPPENING - when you notice the usual thought pattern, take a deep breath and try to come up with a different story.
CHALLENGE YOUR BELIEFS - recall a time when that wasn't true. Life is life, and bad things happen, but not because you had something remarkable occur.
SEE WHAT YOUR FEARS ARE TELLING YOU/THANK THEM FOR TRYING TO PROTECT YOU AND MAKING IT EASY FOR YOU
CELEBRATE MORE OFTEN! Take that fear and whoever is keeping track!
WORK ON YOUR MINDSET - You can choose at any moment, and there are 86,400 in a day to reframe your experience or day.
Whenever we form a belief or bring our attention to something, we see a re-occurrence of that "truth" everywhere. If you look, you shall find! And I did, and it just reinforced my loop. A while back, I decided to challenge everything I believe in. And if it's not serving me, to let it go or replace it with something else. You can't use your willpower to get rid of a particular feeling. You can, however, replace it.