Interfering from the unfolding of life

From an etymological position, the word neurosis derives from the words that mean abnormal condition of the
neurons. 

From a clinical standpoint, the word neurosis is defined as a relatively mild mental
illness involving irrational stress, anxiety, obsessive behavior. 

But it’s the
existential point of view that resonates with me most, which suggests that
neuroses are nothing more than our anxious attempts to prevent life from
happening. 

The blocking of the forward momentum of action. Our stubborn
insistences on controlling the future, even when there is zero hope of altering
reality. 

After all, the human brain is an anticipation machine. How dare things
not work out according to our shortsighted, misguided plan? 

But before we shake
our hands to the sky and proclaim that the natural laws of the world do not
apply to us, we might consider the wisdom of history’s great thinkers. 

Buckminster said that nature has its own tempo and flow of which we are only a
small part. 

Graves said that nature does not depend on us because we are not
the only experiment. 

Hendricks said that nature is engaged in an infinite
process of creation. 

Kelly said that the rose blooms without our approval and
dies without our consent. 

Dostoyevsky said that nature doesn’t ask our advice,
and she isn’t interested in our preferences or whether or not we approve of her
laws, and so, we must accept nature as she is with all the consequences that
she implies. 

And so, if we are to keep neurosis at bay, we need more skills for
coping with what we cannot change. 

Seligman’s research on human flourishing
suggests that the knowledge of the difference between what we can change and
what we must accept in ourselves is the beginning of real change. 

And he
encourages patients to ask themselves the following cognitive reframing
question to help deepen that knowledge:

Is what you are anxious about out of
proportion to the reality of the danger you fear? 

If you’re wired like me, and
your racing brain interferes with your ability to maintain calmness, this tool
is a simple and effective way to interrupt the avalanche of neuroses and take
change of your own thoughts. 

It helps you stay present to life with its full
range of safety and danger and its full potential for good an evil. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…  

Are you ready for the grief of relinquishing a romantic fantasy in the face of a disenchanting reality? 
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

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