Tag Archives: anxiety

Monday Motivation: Don’t Watch the Clock

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This is a guest post by fellow writer, Stephen Graves. You can follow him on twitter at @SGraves612.

 

We live life one day after another, similar to the way a clock ticks from one second to another. We’ve all heard that old chestnut about how a watched clock never tells time, right? Well, if you stare at a clock, you’ll get a snapshot of time, but you won’t get a sense of its progression. That’s a small but important distinction for this metaphor.

I worry on a daily basis, throughout the day even, that I’m not close enough to my goals. I fear that my writing isn’t good enough in terms of quality and volume. I wish I were reading more. My saving’s aren’t where I want them to be. I’m not as physically fit as I hope to be. I have close friends, but it would be nice to have more. You get the picture. One of the defining qualities of humanity, for better or worse, is our inability to be satisfied.

It’s because, at any given moment, we’re only looking at a snapshot of our lives. We’re watching the clock tick, and that’s why it doesn’t tell time.

I don’t keep a journal, but in moments of high stress, I’ve been known to jot my thoughts as a form of meditation and stress relief. One day, I was feeling down about seemingly going nowhere in life, and I happened to stumble upon one of these old stress entries. It was amazing to see how much better my life was, in every area, than it had been when I wrote the entry. I was so concerned with the ups and downs of the snapshot that I’d been missing the upward trending progression.

Even knowing this, I still stress about my goals. You probably will, too. That’s human nature. It’s not a bad thing in itself, but any time you feel especially bogged down in the tick-by-tick slog, pull back and look at just how much progress you’ve made. Don’t sweat those small concerns.

 

You’re probably much further along than you realize.

 

Find Peace Within

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“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else”- Marvin Gaye

 

It’s hard to find peace today.  Watch any news program and you’ll be reminded of the wars and violence that are so prevalent around the world, in each of our countries, our cities, and even in some of our own neighborhoods.  Greed, hatred, selfishness, and a love of power has seeped in and stolen others’ innocence, faith in humanity, and an outward peace that we wish was reigning in humanity today.  We’ve learned that we can’t find peace in the world and that has left some of us feeling despondent.

It’s difficult to find peace in our daily lives as well.  Money troubles, school or job stress, our personal hang-ups or struggles, family or relationship problems, and even social media drama.  The list seems endless as we deal with the messy details in our lives.  These dilemmas can leave us full of anxiety, worry, and fear.  Sometimes we can turn to friends and family, but they will eventually fail us at some point, because they are only human also.

If we can’t find true peace in the world or in other people, where can we find it?  We have to look inside ourselves.  But can we create peace on our own?  No, we have to look to God.

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:5-7

This verse always challenges me.  As a person who gets social anxiety in a crowded room or when I’m meeting new people, it’s hard to overcome my feelings and be at peace.  I also worry about the distant future and even what might happen to me in a coming week.  I forget that God is in control of everything and that He has already taken care of my future.  I focus on my circumstances instead of talking to Him about them.

If we would learn to let go and change our mindset about our lives, we might just find the serenity we desire.  Instead of opening our souls to dread and worry, we should greet each day with eager optimism and unbridled hope.  We can’t depend on the world or other people to create a peaceful atmosphere around us, but we can learn to find inner peace through prayer and surrender.  We have to give up trying to orchestrate our lives and remember that He is in control already.