A HYPOCHANDRIACS TALE

Anxiety and philosophy - what the heck do they have in
common, and why's it important for you? Read on and I'll tell
you...

Back in high school I read a philosophical essay by Albert
Camus called "The Myth of Sisyphus." (Bear with me here it
will all make sense in a moment)

It made a BIG impression on me. In the essay, Camus talks
about man's futile search for a sense of meaning in the face
of crazy illogical world. He goes on and compares the
craziness and struggles of our lives with the situation of
Sisyphus...

Sisyphus was a figure of Greek mythology, who was condemned
to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a rock
up a mountain, only to see it roll down again. Don't we all
know *that* feeling all to well?!

Anyway, Camus concludes by saying:

"The struggle itself is enough to fill a man's heart. One
must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Read that quote again. Why? Because in those few words you
will find one of the keys for conquering your anxiety. There
are two reasons...

Reason One: Emotional control and happiness is an ongoing
process. When you are worried and wracked with anxiety, or
down and depressed, those feelings occupy you at the expense
of too many other things. I've been there.

And in fact I still have "off" days every now and again
*Everyone does* But that's not important. What is important
is how you handle pushing that rock up the hill only for it
to roll all the way back down again...

Like many people I'd get fed-up and down about the constant
seemingly non-stop struggle and worry. But I was totally
blind to what was really going on...

But now, when I have an off day, I'm aware of what's
happening. I ask myself "What's really happening, RIGHT NOW,
this very second?"; I bring my mind back to the present
moment.

When my mind is in the present moment, it's not wallowing
about the past, or worrying about the future. Yes, sometimes
being in the present moment hurts, but by being aware of it,
by accepting your anxiety and depression now, it begins to
dissipate.

Learning to use the present moment is one of the core
techniques of A hypochondriacs tale (cue shameless plug)...



It's an amazingly subtle yet powerful technique, that when
you understand something clicks in your mind - an "ah ha!"
moment. When this happens you suddenly have a means of taming
your anxiety and worry, you are able to start living rather
than being consumed by negative and painful feelings and
thoughts.

But there's also a second reason why Sisyphus's struggle is
important to understand...

Reason Two: If you excessively focus on the goal, that
"someday" you will finally be "free of anxiety" or have
"un-ending peace and happiness" or whatever -- if all you
care about is getting that rock up to the top of the hill --
you are reducing the now to a mere stepping stone.

When this happens life ceases to be an adventure, and becomes
an obsessive need to arrive, to MAKE IT. In effect you are
letting life pass you by, perhaps without even realizing...

You see, it isn't TIME that's precious, because time is an
illusion. So many people sit around doing nothing and say to
themselves, "I'll get around to that eventually." Or they
endlessly *prepare* and never take action.

The "now" is precious, because it's what most of us miss.

Any work toward planning or achieving goals happens now, but
at the same time you need to appreciate each moment as best
you can and not let life be something that just happens in
the future.

As Eckhart Tolle says, "Now, the present moment, is the most
precious thing because it's the ONLY thing." All we have is
the present moment.

Honor that moment.