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Taking The Mic From My Inner Tour Guide
In the quiet recesses of my mind, lived a bossy inner tour guide. It wasn’t a position I remember posting for, but it seemed to be a voice I created when I gave up making my own decisions, when I chose to believe life was too much.
This loyal guide dictated my thoughts, feelings, and actions, like an auto reflex guided by the wiring of my nervous system. It’s a biological fact that our brains are wired to respond to stressors and threats with heightened vigilance, and for me, that translated into an ever-present state of anxiety.
The roots of my anxiety ran deep, nourished by a constant need for approval and the fear of judgment from others. This, too, has a biological basis. Research has shown that the brain’s reward center responds positively to social approval, and conversely, the brain’s threat detection systems can interpret social rejection as a survival threat. So, it’s not surprising that I had unwittingly handed over the reins of my life to the expectations and perceptions of those around me, as my neural pathways reinforced this pattern of behavior.
As I walked this path towards unlearning anxiety, the journey was filled with introspection, self-discovery, and a willingness to challenge my long-held beliefs.
The turning point came when I realized that my happiness and fulfillment could not…
