Anxious? Be Cunning to Loosen Anxiety's Grip
Anxiety is Secretive
"Anxiety is secretive. He does not trust ~ not even his friends worry, terror, doubt and panic. He has a way of glombing onto your skin like smog and then you feel unclean."
J Ruth Gendler
The Cunning and Persistent Anxiety Must be Shooed Away
"Anxiety likes to visit me late at night when I'm alone and exhausted. I have never slept with him but he kissed me on the forehead once and I had a headache for two years."
From The Book of Qualities by J Ruth Gendler
To shoo anxiety away, you must name what is causing him to linger and make him come out into the light.
You must Be Cunning to Get Rid of Anxiety
"Anxiety is sure a nuisance to get out of the house. He has no respect for locks or curtains or doors. I speak from experience.
It takes cunning to get rid of him ~ a combination of anger, humor, and self-respect. A bath helps too.
He does not like to get wet. As a last resort, if you are not near a bathtub wet your face with tears."
From The Book of Qualities by J Ruth Gendler
Loosen Anxiety's Grip
Go on ~ kick anxiety out of your head. Be cunning ~ discover the right combination of anger, humor and self-respect to take up residence in your head, making no room for long-lasting anxiety. Take little actions to help you face the source of your anxiety. Find ways to poke fun at it. Laugh out loud once a day.
Let humor wash over you and refresh your spirit.
Get mad enough to take positive action.
Name what's causing your anxiety
with the help of a trusted love one, then let it go.
I first fell in love with 'The Book of Qualities' 35 years ago. This brilliantly intuitive work of art breathes life into the rich diversity of human qualities making them come alive to resonate deep inside us.
The other day I stumbled across my copy of 'The Book of Qualities' that had been sitting quietly in my library for years waiting to be rediscovered. Gendler's description of anxiety was just what I needed to consider today, and I wanted to share it with you.
You can order The Book of Qualities on Amazon.
