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Annie Spratt

Anxiety

November 21, 20234 min read

How can we relieve ourselves of anxiety, stress, and the uneasiness and apprehension associated with all this? If left unaddressed, ultimately, anxiety will exact a hefty toll, many times down a spiraling black hole. There are many techniques for managing stress and anxiety, including exercising and breathing techniques. However, the most important thing is the attitude and mindset of the person. It is not just a matter of putting on a smile and employing a technique that can help. It is all about what is happening beneath the surface, inside one’s head.

Only a person with a rock-solid belief system can build for him/herself an edifice that will not crack under the daily vicissitudes of life.

Part of what induces stress and anxiety is the constant internal struggle, the confusion a person is living with, many times at the level of the subconscious. He does not even realize what is going on inside. They have unfulfilled expectations, imaginary fears, distorted thoughts, and a feeling of uncertainty.

On the one hand, he wants to become rich and famous; on the other, she wants to work out and look good. On the one hand, he wants to be spiritually fulfilled; on the other hand, she wants to hang out with just any friends, be part of the fun, and not seem like the odd one out. An emotionally draining psychological and emotional tug-of-war continually. Being pulled in so many directions, it is little wonder that a person loses sight of who they are and where they are going after a while. The bottom line is that they are living on very shaky, insecure grounds.

Little wonder the person is unsure of the future, craving control, self-empowerment, and some solid ground to stand on. It is little wonder the person feels insecure and has an excessive need for approval and validation. They over-compensate for their insecurities through perfectionism and other useless ploys that temporarily give the impression of control.

Peace of the mind and tranquility of the heart, plain and straightforward Peace, is when many different dimensions and perspectives exist in harmony. To be sure, all the different sides still retain aspects of their individuality and presence; however, they are all directed under one canopy, big enough to encompass the many different interests… a common ground greater than the many differences that separate one interest, one perspective, and or need from the other.

To be strong and solid, every human must develop their trust in God. This is one of the cornerstones of a robust and secure life. Trust in God is the canopy vast enough to encompass all pursuits in a person’s life. This is not something that happens just by saying you trust in God; this comes from a conscious effort to feed your faith daily by studying the Bible and mysticism and then meditating on those concepts in prayer.

A person who trusts in God will never give up or become despondent. Whatever appears to be happening, he is strong in his trust that, through his prayers and good deeds, things can and will turn around for good. Faith and trust in God alone are strong enough to unify the many different directions in which people are pulled and pushed in life.

Prayer, in and of itself, is tremendously therapeutic. During prayer and meditation on the greatness of God, a person is transported, uplifted, and enveloped by the knowledge that everything is (and will lead) for the good. Not only does he trust that it is all for good, but he develops a solid trust in God that grants him the depth of appreciation that the actual occurrence, while it is happening, is for good.

When we pray, it’s like hitting the pause button on life’s craziness, giving us a moment to breathe and find our balance again.

Being alive in the most whole measure means living every moment to its fullest potential. For this, a person must be in a joyous, positive frame of mind since joy is the emotion that opens up the person and breaks any barriers that may hinder a person from enjoying life thoroughly and living it to its fullest potential.

A person who develops his faith and trust in God that He is entirely good and brilliant and that there are no shortcomings in Him will have complete joy and a great life. Such a person eliminated the majority of reasons for their anxieties and fears.

Chapter 83   www.rabbishlomoezagui.com

Originally Published: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/anxiety/?fbclid=IwAR2mrujUfxK1Fa18p7TgQCwzp42XrdHU0jcy528qce_ZwKbEAR0p1riEIpo

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Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui

Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui is an author and lecturer. "A Spiritual Soul Book" www.aspiritualsoulbook.com & "Maimonides Advice for the 21st Century" www.maimonidesadvice.com. Rabbi Ezagui opened in 1987 the first Chabad Center in Palm Beach County, Florida, and the first Orthodox Synagogue on the Island of Palm Beach, Florida

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