By K. C. Narang
Chartered Accountant
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‘Anxiety’ itself is neither helpful not hurtful. It is our response to anxiety that is helpful or hurtful. – Winston Churchill
Anxiety is normal and is part of our existence. The base of ‘anxiety’ is insecurity and possessiveness – hence, fear of loss is the cause of anxiety. ‘Anxiety’ and its twin sister ‘worry’ are killers. It is rightly said that worry over the past, anxiety over the future and frenzy in the present kill energy – energy which is essential for action. ‘Anxiety’ impacts our performance. According to Thomas J. Delong, ‘anxiety is possibly the single largest inhibitor of growth’. The normal response to ‘anxiety’ is flight or fight. However, I believe, anxiety can be a powerful stimulant arousing the senses to function at their sharpest.
We are normally anxious about our family, economic activity, social and professional status, living up to expectations, ours and others, and lastly we are also anxious about our health – though health should take priority over other concerns, because no action can happen without being healthy, both in body and mind. Let us consider a few examples of ‘anxiety’:
- a doctor is anxious before a major surgery.
- a lawyer is anxious before a major case.
- an actor is anxious about forgetting his/her lines or success of his or her performance.
- a student is anxious about results.
- a lover is anxious about relationship.
- a sick person is worried about getting well.
- a housewife is anxious about her family.
- a business person is worried about ‘topline’ and ‘bottomline’.
- a chartered accountant is worried about his client.
Unexpected events and contingencies also create and cause anxiety. Hence, I reiterate anxiety is normal and is part and parcel of our existence. All these anxieties are genuine and the answer to anxiety is one and only one and that is possession of a cool mind. With a cool mind and with proper preparation we can face ‘anxiety’. If we are adequately prepared, all anxiety giving issues would look small and there is a good old saying: ‘The art of living is: ‘don’t fret over small things’. The fear of failure is the biggest cause of ‘anxiety’. The response to ‘anxiety’ should also be acceptance of failure, because failure is nothing but a stepping stone to success.
Personally, in recent times I experienced a traumatic experience – I was anxious – about the outcome – anxious to the extent of losing sleep – what brought me out was faith in my god, my guru, my family, my friends and faith in myself and above all proper preparation. I am grateful to Him for both the ‘anxiety’ and the ‘faith’. We forget, anxiety is all about future which robs us of the pleasures of the present.
We have to learn to befriend ‘anxiety’ and use it as a stepping stone and never to yield to ‘anxiety’. I repeat, use ‘anxiety’ to improve ourselves, our environment and our life. Use this emotion as a tool of success and success will be ours.
The answer to ‘anxiety’ is:
Faith Faith in the concept that from bad emerges good, Faith in the fact that every problem has a solution, Faith that with help and guidance from Him one can overcome every obstacle, Faith in oneself that one will win,
Above all we must learn to bond with people instead of possessing them. If we do this there will be no ‘anxiety of loss’.
Anxiety to achieve our objective actually dilutes our efforts. So stop being anxious. Success in life, I repeat, can be achieved only through clarity, courage and commitment.
I would conclude by quoting George Bernard Shaw:
‘In this world, there is always danger for those who are anxious (afraid) of it’.
So to have a happy successful life let us hang our anxieties – fears – on the tree and leave them to Him and work with, nay for Him.
