We Suffer More In Our Imagination Than In Reality
Don’t wear a fire proximity suit. Find the source of the fire. Repair.
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” ― Amit Ray
I’m living a good life, *touch wood*, with a decent full-time job, a long and healthy relationship, and enough free time to read, write, and travel. I’ve my family close too. All in all, a good life.
But every other day, I get stressed. I, however, managed to decode the issue and reach the source. To know how I did it you can read this article: I’m 26 and clueless.
To cut the story short, I get stressed about losing my job thanks to the recent news that stormed across the globe.
Having said that, I realized something while journaling this morning.
One, I’ve enough savings to survive more than a year.
Two, there is no sign that I can lose my job as my company didn’t lay off any.
Three, I’m good at what I do and so, even if I were to leave, I can find one soon. It may not pay me as high as the current one or may not give me all the benefits, but I can get a job.
So, there is no reason to be anxious. However, I am, sometimes.
And that’s how much I’m suffering in my imagination while the reality is extremely positive.
So, what to do?
Journaling worked for me
Most days, journaling feels stupid. Why write? Isn’t it a complete waste of time and energy? I can assure you it isn’t.
Journaling helps in introspection — which is a significant component of living a meaningful life that we so often miss out on.
Without introspection, I would have never have realized I’m actually happy and stressed only in my imagination.
It is hard to differentiate between the two lives — the real and the imaginary. Most of us don’t have the time to think. Unless we do some sort of mindful exercise, it is hard to comprehend.
Journaling worked for me. You should find what works for you.
Get to the source of your stress
I never let my issues bother me for long without trying to get to the origin of the flames. You can’t stop the fire by wearing a fire proximity suit. Find if the fire started because of a faulty appliance or gas leakage. Then work on the remedy.
Document and Introspect to avoid a similar future occurrence
Remembering just for the exam and then forgetting is no good. That is preparing for marks and not learning to gain knowledge.
Similarly, getting to the source of your problems today and rectifying it is fine, but of no use, if you have the same problem over and over again.
We need to understand what is creating such issues in the first place and have to learn to prevent them from happening again. This can only be achieved through awareness. Being aware of ourselves is key.
“Being mindful of our lives is the only way to gain knowledge for a lifetime and not just beat the exam of today.”
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