More than Monkeys
What does it feel like to experience anxiety? I would describe my feeling of anxiety as the feeling of being stalked by some invisible predator. I can’t hear a growl coming from around the photocopier at work, but at times, I have felt an unexplainable uneasiness. The feeling that something, or someone, wants to hurt me.
A counselor once advised me to remember that when I'm feeling anxious, it is because there is a biological mechanism at work designed to help keep me alive. It's not always logical, but it's there. The eerie feeling that some unseen monster is in the bush, ready to pounce… It’s a feature to help keep me alive. This advice has helped me see my anxiety from a different perspective.
We didn't evolve from Dinosaurs and then into humans. We've evolved from hominids… and monkeys tend to be jumpy and fearful.
Fear kept many of our ancestors alive from Sabertooth Tigers and other prehistoric predators long enough to become us. In the grand scheme of time, we have been prey more than we’ve been predators. In a media-saturated world, the level of anxiety in our modern lives is not surprising. The human mind is a well-calibrated threat detector that is always on the alert. In this day and age, our predators are: war, disease, a fragile economy, and a prevailing fear of those who are different than us. Too much for any one person to handle.
"Fear is Free; Hope takes Effort," -Jon Acuff.
Fear is efficient. It's cheap and easy to produce.
It’s the gas of human emotions. Given the choice between filling someone’s tank with fear or hope, people will often choose the former because fear is much more economical. Fear goes a long way when trying to achieve results, but at some point, we must acknowledge its exacting toll on our hearts and minds. It’s an overly caffeinated emotion that makes it hard to sleep at night.
We were meant to be more than we were millions of years ago. Much more than frightened monkeys.
There is one power in the universe with the strength to confront fear. A home filled with this power helps children fall asleep at night and helps tired parents wake up when they must. It’s the clean, renewable resource that gives momentum to volunteers and opens up the hearts and minds of artists. This force gives understanding and wisdom to the strong and inspires the hero in all of us. Leaders who lead with it change lives and organizations.
It’s the power of Love. (cue Hewy Lewis)
The most precious of all the emotions, and the conqueror of fears. This is the answer to the anxiety in a world full of…scared monkeys. More love in our conduct is the key to bringing healing to our families, communities, and propelling our workplaces forward.
Thank you for reading, friend. My prayer for you this week is that you’re on the receiving end of love and that you’re able to share what you receive with others.
Notes:
Please check out “Outrage” by Kurt Gray. This book is having a major impact on how I’m seeing the world today.
I also want to encourage you to listen to Simon Sinek’s podcast, “A bit of Optimism”. Specifically, the episode where he interviews Astronaut Jonny Kim, who’s currently flying above us in the International Space Station.
I love following Jon Acuff. He makes me laugh and think. I quoted him in this post. That quote has been so helpful for me over the last few months. He’s got more! Give him a follow.