Kristin Larsen

Ideas That Ignite Curiosity To Love With Courage!

Future Worry To Fading Presence

Fading Presence Into Future Worry

Thinking about the future is something to look forward to. It is something that gives hope and possibility. It is the hope and possibility that create a vision. The vision may be within ourselves, others or the world.

Meanwhile, a fixation focused on the future becomes an obsession.

The fixation on the future overlooks the present moment. It transforms into attachment of an outcome or result.

Surprisingly, many important steps are overlooked in the process.

Some steps in the process include appreciation for the learning and growth, acknowledgement of utilized capabilities, celebrating the actions taken.

The need to control the outcome is one area where the focus is misplaced.

Trying to control the outcome is driven by the perceived fears. The fears most often threaten love, safety or belonging in one’s life.

We create  meanings from an outcome. It could perpetuate the worry of, “if it does not happen in the way I want, then it will mean…”

Eventually, worst-case scenarios begin to present themselves.  It begins to drive the need to control.

The stress response becomes active. We view the possible unwanted outcome as a threat to our survival of living.

Refocus The Worry

Focus needs to be directed back to the present moment, which helps alleviate the worry. It needs to be part of where you are now.

In some cases, our inner dialogue asks the question, “Is it enough, am I enough being where I am in this moment right now?” This question wants to immediately take you into the future to escape.

Instantly, deep breaths calm the stress response. You can continue to calm the worry. It needs reassurance of safety. It needs assurance of support.

Let the part of you, that wants to worry, know it is accepted and appreciated. That part of you is acknowledged in the present moment.

Take a step back and look at what might be creating the worry.

You can enroll trust in the steps you have taken. That will allow you to acknowledge they are leading towards the future.

Redirect your focus, what is possible now?

What choices are available to you now?

What steps can you take now?

Being present in the moment is the only way to be guided gracefully along the path to the future.

  • What can you do to bring yourself back to this moment?
  • What part of you has concerns about the future?
  • How might you acknowledge this part of you?
  • How might you comfort this part of you by the choices, steps and possibilities that are available in this moment?

The Prize For Unwanted Anxiety

The anxiety of a racing mind and worried heart is not wrong. Maybe it is something you believe is wrong?

Anxiety Situation

Imagine you have a big presentation, an event or a speech in a few hours.

Maybe there are many “what-if’s” that begin to enter your mind.

Your imagination starts to take over and your heart is beating faster, trembling of nerves tense your body. You can’t think normally with clear thoughts.

You feel like you have already lost the confidence to do your best.

Trying so desperately to win a self made validation that isn’t real.

The misleading prize is assurance that the outcome will be what you want.

What if the outcome does not happen or questions arise about the possibilities that might prevent it from happening,? Worry and concern creep into the moment.

It is something we have all experienced in our life.

Anxiety and worry is nothing to be ashamed of.

It is part of our survival makeup.

Anxiety is something that becomes a constant background noise that is learned to cope with. It is not comfortable or enjoyable. It becomes something that is hard to turn off.

How can you accept worry and concern when it disrupts clarity of  how you would like to function in the moment?

There are ways to reduce the intensity, (possibly turn it off) to trust in who you are and what you are doing again.

First step is to stop, take a step back. Reassess the situation. Acknowledge the worry and question with curiosity the purpose of the worry and what can be done to alleviate the worry right now.

Breathe. Take deep, controlled breaths. Place your focus on the breath as you inhale and exhale. Pausing to hold between inhale and exhale.

Count to 10 slowly, and when you reach 10, say to yourself, “I am safe.” “I will be okay.”

Assure yourself you will get through this experience, and place gratitude that you are alive and get to have this experience.

Create a new meaning of failure. Whatever the outcome is, respect the things that make it successful regardless what the result is.

Releasing the shame surrounding anxiety is an available choice. The decision to let go of the idea, “I’m not good enough” because of experiencing anxiety or worry is powerful transformational acceptance.

Reframing the approach to a situation and acknowledging the present moment means you have already won the prize.

Leave Past Doubt To Enjoy The Now

Do you ever find you have situations in your life where you begin to question, or doubt if you can do something, have something or be the person you need to be in that moment?

Being present in the now doesn’t seem possible with all the circulating doubts.

Thoughts begin to race. The search for answers to validate what is being felt.

Just getting swept away in shame, guilt, regret.

Thoughts resonate, “I am not worthy of….” “I am not enough because…”

The situation transforms into letting the emotions be the meaning of the present.

However, the emotions were created long before that moment.

They came from the past.

There is a story attached to those emotions. There are definitions from the situations that were constructed to support the story.

It becomes normal to be paralyzed by the thoughts of doubt. To the point of believability.

What changes the thoughts of doubt?

It starts with curiosity to explore what is beneath the doubt. Then taking accountability to shift the perspective of how the doubt is being perceived. It becomes an important step to give self permission to trust in the responsibility of living in the present which is always a choice that is available.

A person who acknowledges their capabilities has the ability to rewrite their story, which changes the meaning and definitions of what was. It now means the past does not dictate the present unless it is allowed to.

-Kristin Sven Larsen

Self acknowledgement reveals the learning, past success, and gratitude. It places focus on the inner being of acceptance with appreciation.

There is no room for doubt when focus is placed on what is possible from the learning, growth and belief in what makes up the capability.

Enjoyment is found living in the now when the doubt is let go from the past.

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