“What Is?” Not “What If?”

“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” – Mark Twain

“A [person] who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary.” – Seneca

“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” – Soren Kierkegaard

“It did what all ads are supposed to do: create an anxiety relievable by purchase.” ― David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest

“Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.” ― Jodi Picoult, Sing You Home

“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” — Oprah Winfrey

Anxiety, a real and growing problem in the United States, is future focused. One is obsessed with asking “What if?” over and over again without taking any action. This leads to a scarcity mindset, an overestimation of one’s troubles (real or imagined) and an underestimation of one’s ability to cope.

Instead, get present focused. Obsess on asking “What is?”

“What is real?”

“What is actually happening right now?”

“What is true?”

“What is beautiful?”

“What is good?”

“What Is?”

“What Is?”

“What Is?”

This leads to gratitude and an abundance mindset. You’ll realize you have all you need and way more power than you think. Which then inspires action, the numero uno antidote to any and all anxiety.