In the past, when I’ve anticipated things, at times I’ve built in anxiety with the anticipation. Whether hosting an event, giving a keynote, or learning something new, I can turn the preparation into a stress filled process.
When I step back and consider what’s happening, it’s all about my mental process.
When I believe I have more than enough time, I enjoy the preparation and the event.
When I believe I have less than enough time, I create anxiety and stress, often diminishing the joy for myself before and during the event.
All my anxiety resides in the perception of available time.
When I realized this, I now do two things:
- Say “no” to things that don’t fit in my priorities or on my timeline
- Revise what I envision the outcome looking like based on the time
Either way, it means letting go; and that includes the suffering.