I stumbled upon this Facebook post I wrote a few years ago and thought it was such good insight that I’m constantly forgetting. I felt like it’s something someone out there swirling in the void of the internet would find helpful. I hope it soothes your anxious mind, even a little bit.

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I asked myself yesterday, “Why is this making me so anxious? What am I so worried about? Why do I always get like this when things don’t go exactly my way?” And at first my answer was all about how I didn’t want to make a mistake, how I don’t want to let people down blah blah blah.

But I realized that under it all, here was the problem: I think it’s about me.

When I am spiraling because of extreme anxiety, it’s because I think *I’m* the affected one or they’ll think *I’m* a terrible person. In the midst of it, I think I’m the ~main character~ even if it’s in a negative way.

I told myself, how about you take yourself out of the equation? What happens when it isn’t about you, and you look at the situation and say, okay it’s about this issue and this is how we can solve it, and you are nowhere in there? You’re simply someone who helps get it done, but it also has nothing to do with who you are as a person. It’s not about you.

And it just clicked. Like, how did it take me so long to realize I get anxious because I factor myself in too much in situations that really have nothing to do with me. My goodness. 36 years to realize this? Come on. But you know what, I’m just glad I finally got here because it feels like a giant weight has been lifted from my constantly swirling mind.

This morning I had my quiet time and my verse was Hebrews 12:1-2, and the main thing that hit me was this: Jesus bore the cross because He knew our salvation was worth more than the shame it carried. His love for us was bigger than any fear of death or shame. It wasn’t about Him. And I was so humbled by that. I already had the best example of how to live life and how to deal with my neuroses and I find myself here, so unworthy and so grateful that I don’t need to live the next 36+++ years constantly battling these anxious thoughts.

It’s not always about me. And thank God for that!