Things Are Never as Bad as They Seem

Now, let's get this straight right from the get-go. I still continually struggle with a crippling amount of stress and worry over seemingly pointless things on a day to day basis. But certain things lately have proven to me yet again what I already know to be true in the back of my mind regardless of whether or not I put it into practice: things are never as bad as they seem.

I find that as a species, human beings have a knack for taking a situation that is fairly normal and twisting it into this god-awful conundrum in their minds when really, if faced head on at the start or if considered in a less-dramatic way, it should really be a non-issue. Sweeping generalization I know - I'd get points taken off an essay for a statement like that but I think this one is actually true of most people regardless of how many claim to be "laid back." I don't know. Maybe I'm coloring the world through my own technicolor lenses and this really only affects me. I just feel like there are so many things I stress out about that I know are STUPID and I have really been actively attempting to stop. I think just flat-out being aware of it is a step in the right direction and is probably more beneficial than I am giving myself credit for.

I'm also getting a tattoo to remind myself of this. I haven't decided the specifics yet but I've been mulling it over in my mind since July and I haven't even once thought that perhaps it wasn't a good idea since then so I think it proves that the decision has already been made. "Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords." What with all the Game of Thrones craze these days it sort of makes me feel like a sell-out but I started reading the books because of a recommendation from a friend before the HBO series came out so I think of it less as a social phenomenon and more of a replacement for the hole that Harry Potter left after re-reading the books yet again and seeing the completion of the movies. Huge digression... Basically, when I read that phrase for the very first time, I thought - wow, that's pretty true. What makes one person able to complete a difficult and dangerous task when another fails? Optimists call it courage. But what is courage - the anti-fear. I think saying to someone "Be courageous" or "be brave" suggests a super-human mindset in which a person become valiant and triumphs above some evil adversity. I think a more down-to-earth suggestion that holds the same weight would be "do not be afraid." When you are aware of the fact that there IS fear or a possibility thereof, I think you're better equipped to analyse WHY it is you are afraid and ultimately find it pointless. Thus negating the fear altogether.

Easier said than done though.