Rise to Meet It

I’ve been working with a lot of people through the years who either have anxiety or have strong concerns in their lives about things that might happen. Most of us experience this, at least from time to time, including myself. Because anxiety and worry are so common, I have actually created an upcoming course called Anxiety to Acceptance™, which I am excited to share soon with you. In the meantime, however, I’d like to give you a concept you can use today, right now.

The phrase that came to me for this concept is, “Do not hide from what you know is coming; rise to meet it.” When we feel, think, or “know” something is coming, it can make us nervous, anxious, or upset. The issue here is that when we become attached to this anxiety, we want to run and hide from whatever we’re worried about.

The more that we avoid and escape, the stronger our fears and anxieties grow. So, what I propose to you is to rise to meet the challenge instead of running from it. What does this mean, exactly? In order to “rise up,” we consider how we can best prepare ourselves for the possible challenge ahead. We make a plan, take action on the plan, and put ourselves in the best position for success.

By preparing in this way, we find a sense of calm, peace of mind, and confidence, because we know we have taken action toward achieving the best outcome we can. Then, we let go of our attachment to the anxiety we are having, and we move forward, knowing that we will put our best foot forward if and when the challenge comes to us.

Proper Preparation

Let’s take an example of being nervous about presenting a speech in front of a crowd, and let’s say it’s a couple of weeks away from happening. First of all, fear of public speaking is one of the most common and strongest fears that we experience as humans, so this may be a relatable scenario for you. Would you have anxiety about this leading up to the performance? Would you be dreading it each day beforehand? Let’s look at how you could approach this speech in a way to experience less anxiety and higher chances of success.

It all begins with preparation. In this example, you could first write out the speech, edit it, and read it aloud. Then you could stand up and practice the speech, beginning to commit it to memory. You might consider recording it on your phone and watching it back to correct any issues you see. You could continue to practice in this way until you could present the speech flawlessly from memory. To go a step further, you might ask a friend or a group of friends or family to listen to your speech. At this point, your confidence would likely be quite high in your ability to present it.

Once you have established the skills and confidence to meet the challenge, the rest of the process is simply letting go of your attachment—to the worries and anxieties of how everyone will receive the speech and what they will think of you. Then, when it comes time for the actual performance, it is about letting go in the moment, accepting who you are and where you’re at with your preparation, and then flowing through the speech, line by line. In doing this, you’ve risen to meet the challenge instead of hiding from it and then fumbling through a nervous, unprepared performance.

The Greatest Predictor

When you prepare like this and let go of your attachments, you’ve done everything you can do. You’ve put in the work, you’ve centered and grounded yourself, and you’ve put yourself in the best possible position for the challenge ahead. Even if your performance doesn’t go exactly as planned or isn’t up to your initial expectations, that’s ok. You know that you’ve done the best that you can, and you continue to move forward from there.

I like to say the best predictor of future behavior is what you are doing right now. Look at your current behaviors and make the adjustments necessary. Your success is never guaranteed, as nothing in life is guaranteed. However, when you prepare yourself for life’s challenges and you engage in the necessary behaviors for success, your chances of success go up exponentially. So, instead of getting caught in worry and avoidance, let’s create a plan being true to yourself, work that plan doing your best, and let go of the rest.

Much Love,
Noel Neu, The Songwriting Therapist™