I want you to do a little spying. Just start eavesdropping on your own mind. Susan Hyatt calls this being a scientist of your own life; Martha Beck calls it being ‘the watcher.’ Imagine that you can see all your thinky verbal thoughts running across your brain like the ticker tape at the bottom of a news program. Do you hear calm, considered, optimistic strategy? Probably not. It probably goes more like, “Ack! Crap. Oh no oh no….” Many of us find that fear has hijacked all our major media channels and is broadcasting terror all day long. That’s because our minds don’t like change, so when they find a rut that feels safe, they stick to it. Only problem: worry won’t keep you safe. Just anxious. Your best weapon here is humor. Start asking yourself this simple question: Is that even true? Then, prepare for a benevolent overthrow.
This was first published in Being A Broad magazine, where I write a monthly column called Advice For Renegades. Reproduced with permission.
