On Anxiety

          There is a perpetual somberness that burrows itself beneath the battered skin of the ever anxious. To pretend otherwise would be to fool oneself into believing that they do not suffer from some sort of anxiety; One of the first potential signs of the cancer known as madness.

          However, it is also a sign of what it means to be a human being. Humans are naturally anxious creatures, as are most animals that live in constant fear. Whether it’s the fear of losing a loved one, losing one’s own life, or even letting others around you down… We all suffer from some sort of anxiety, which gives us all at least one common characteristic. 

          We often get lost in the world and all that engulfs it, like a moth to a flame; though the moth has the potential to lift itself higher than the flame. The flame is limited, whereas the moth is not. Humans are the same, or at least similar in some respects. We’re capable of soaring to heights where even the largest flame may be out of reach. We’re capable of so much, yet so few try solely for the fear of being burned. — Though is it necessary? To let the embers singe the wings we were born with? To allow others to be the flame in our life? — Or perhaps there is another way. 

          From the moment we step outside our home, the walls that protect us no longer do so. And because of this, we are forced to protect ourselves from anything that might seem harmful. Often, this instinct is misdirected towards others. Often, this instinct is misguided… And even more so often, it’s abused by those who know how to take advantage of it. And because of this, the cycle continues. 

          Anxiety itself comes from the natural uncomfortableness of human insecurity within a non-secure environment. With such an unpredictable place comes erratic thoughts that seem nearly uncontrollable, and these thoughts eventually manifest in the form of ‘anxiety’. 

          Unfortunately, there’s not really any way around it. Anxiety will always be there, but so will Courage—And once anxiety is overcome with courage, there will be a moment of realization that there isn’t a single thing in this beautiful world that we are not capable of achieving. We’re all human, and every human deals with some form of emotion; Anxiety is no different.