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Ultimately
your method of managing your anxiety can
be understood as a reflection of your
self image, which can be defined as the
sum total of your perceptions and thoughts
about your worth and capabilities. When
worry and anxiety appear on a frequent
basis it signals that the foundation for
your self-image is shaky. Insecurity has
gained a foothold where confidence should
be. To get an idea of the extent your
anxiety is affected by diminished feelings
of self-esteem, look over the following
statements to determine which ones apply
to you fairly frequently.
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When
I express my opinions or preferences,
I don't seem to have the feelings
of certainty I'd like to have. |
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I indulge
questions like "How could I have
done that?" or "Why can't
I do this better?" |
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I let
the negative statements of others
affect me more powerfully than they
should. |
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I have
a hard time accepting the things in
my life that have gone wrong. |
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People
might be surprised to learn that I
am not really as happy as I publicly
portray myself. |
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There
are key people in my life who accept
me only when I meet their conditions. |
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I have
become reluctant to talk publicly
about my personal life. |
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I am
not as easy-going or pleasant as I
have been in times past. |
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Some
people seem reluctant to just let
me be a regular person with normal
ups and downs. |
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I probably
don't assert my needs as strongly
as I should. |
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My
level of trust in people is not as
strong as it should be, even if I
have no particular reason to feel
that way toward those persons. |
We all
have moments when feelings of security
are not as strong as we would like, so
if some of these statements look familiar,
don't be alarmed. The more you could relate
to them, the more it indicates that insecurity
is lying beneath your worries. You will
need to grapple with some very fundamental
questions. For instance: Where does my
worth come from, fallible people or my
Creator? Can I think of myself as competent
even if others seem to have their own
critical thoughts about me? Can I recognize
that behind all the exteriors we put up,
all people are equal in value?
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