It’s inevitable. We each get to a point in life where we literally have no idea how we are going to get through. We are met with a challenge: a test, a family problem, a big decision, an application for work. And because we have no idea how we are going to be successful and have no idea what to do next, we turn to what seems like a natural reaction – anxiety.
Anxiety is no stranger to any of us, I presume. And whenever this season of anxiety comes, there are two things that help me to stop, take a deep breath, analyze the situation, then resume. The first thing is remembering that there is a power greater than myself that is pulling all the strings. Maybe you don’t believe in God, but you don’t have to, to understand this concept. Take the Philadelphia 76ers fans for an example. What was the slogan they had to repeat to themselves over and over again for about 2 seasons? “Trust The Process”. While the team faced injury after injury – it was “Trust the Process” that kept everyone from going insane. For a fan, there was nothing they could do to help, nor any way of them knowing for sure that they were going to be a title contender in the 2019-2020 season. All they could do was trust the front office to do their job. That’s the same way we need to trust God to do His.
Unlike the 76ers fans, most of the time we do have things we can do while we trust in the higher power. That is why we must always stay focused on the things we CAN control. When anxious, work. Lay down the brick of the day you need in order to have a wall 5 years from now. While trusting that God is doing his job, make sure you listen to what he needs you to do at the same time. Anxiety loves for us to focus on things that are out of our control, but in order to combat that mindset, we must change our focus to things that are in our control.
The second thing that calms me down when anxiety attacks, is hearing the stories of how other successful people achieved their goals despite being faced with so much adversity. My favorite song on Kanye West’s College Dropout is “Through The Wire”. However, the song that is most inspirational to me is “Last Call”. Yes – the 12-minute long song that is mostly Ye talking about how he went from being evicted from his apartment to getting signed by Roc-A-Fella. Stories like this – the ones that go past the fame and riches, and talk about the hard work that successful people put in every single day – are the ones that remind me that I’m not the first person to be in my position. We are all human, we have all experienced anxiety and pressure. But look what Ye did when he wasn’t taken seriously as a rapper. Look what Joel Embiid has become after sitting out his first season. Look what other people like Tyler Perry, P Diddy, Jay Z, Chadwick Boseman, Denzel Washington, Elon Musk, and Steve Jobs did when their backs were against the wall – when the end seemed near – when options became scarce – when they were met with failure. If they threw up their hands and walked away, we would never know their names. At the end of the day, they are all human, and bleed like you bleed. They did it, you can do it too.
Trusting the process is easier said than done. It takes practical action, remembering, and being inspired. I for one, know that God hasn’t brought you so far to leave you here. Trust him. You aren’t the first person to be in the situation you’re in – learn from others. Instead of focusing on what’s out of your control, be practical and focus on what is in your control. Listen to an inspirational podcast (I wonder if Un-Associated has one….), go to a GOOD church, read articles on people’s stories before they were deemed successful, shoot – cry for 30 minutes. Do what must be done for you to let the anxiety out and the positivity back in. Your destiny is to win, trust the process.