One of the sessions I attended at the Center for Mind Body Medicine’s Cancer Caregivers training was called Mobilizing, Transforming and Celebrating Emotions. The presenter talked about the need to be aware of our emotions and to express them through movement, drawing, writing, etc. He talked about catharsis and coming into balance.
The presentation was followed by a small-group session where we were led through a guided reflection to help us become more aware of an emotion that was affecting us. We then expressed our awareness through a seven-minute writing exercise—a dialog with that emotion.
Anxiety was the emotion that presented itself to me both during the presentation and again during the guided reflection. The group leader suggested some questions to bring greater awareness of situations we experienced the emotion and ways it was impacting our lives.
My dialog with anxiety went like this:
Me: Where do you come from? What do you want? What can I do to lessen your impact on me?
Anxiety: Lessen my impact? Who said you need to lessen my impact or that I want to move out of your life?
Me: I want you gone—or at least I want you to be less powerful and have less control in my life. I want to be at peace, not to have my stomach clench when I am asked a question or when an emotion arises. I want to be able to live in joy and not guilt, to be confident and not second-guess myself, to trust my experiences of affirmation. I want to be proud of my accomplishments and to believe in my capabilities.
I think—I believe—that I can only be free to what “new” God is doing in my life, to actually trust it and embrace it if my anxiety lessens.
Coming to this workshop, I can see how much my anxiety has lessened by what I share—and I can see how much anxiety I still have.
Anxiety: Perhaps that is the secret—trust and celebrate every, single time you push against me; every time you move against your resistance and fear. Take it in, Jim used to tell you. So, I say it, too. Take it in. I am part of your ancient history. You are not that little girl any more. You can protect yourself. You know what you need to be safe and free. Do that.
Madeline Bialecki 
Your dialogue was powerful and transparent. Thank you for sharing the power of anxiety and how to deal with it. I’m going to share this with others and practice more myself!
Thank you, Anne Marie. I learned about this training from Jim’s friend Patrick. It was such an incredibly powerful experience. I had acute anxiety about sharing the piece, but I hadn’t finished anything else. Once I (accidentally) hit “publish” I let go of my anxiety and had a good night’s sleep.
Jeremiah 29:11
(New American Standard Bible)
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
So true, Debbie Sue. I quote this passage to myself regularly. Thank you.