Well, I don’t want to start with spoilers, and I definitely can’t retell the story better than Tim Box himself. I highly recommend that you start by watching the TED Talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZidGozDhOjg
So, what did I learn from it…
Everyone feels anxiety
There are those that don’t feel anxiety, there are two very distinct groups, the first group, dead people, the second group (to his words) would be those we might refer to as Psychopaths
Everyone is an individual, wired differently, with their own set of abilities or inabilities. But the things that we, as humans — or in other words, Homo sapiens — have in common due to evolution are the same set of feelings, fears, and base instincts.
Is feeling anxious is negative?
I completely agree with what he said. Experiencing high levels of anxiety over a long period of time is clearly not positive.
But in the short term — whether it’s about an interview, technology, or taking a big step — it just means that the situation matters. And congratulations: you’re not ignoring it.
How should we look at anxiety
I personally think he described anxiety in the perfect way:
Think of your mind as a ship, every ship has a captain and a crew, in this analogy the captain is your logical rational conscious part of your thinking, the part that knows where you wish to go, and why, and fair idea to how to get there. The crew, the people the people that has its hands on all the things that stair and sail our ship, is the subconscious.
Your crew sail the ship by triggering the appropriate emotional responses
lets look at the examples he gave, for example, if we feel:
somethings is dangerous — Fear is triggered. You feel uncomfortable, so you move away from the danger, back to safety.
(But remember: docking keeps a ship safe, but that’s not what ships are made for)
The believe that someone wronged you — A crew member triggers anger, shifting your attention toward taking the necessary action to right the wrong.
So what about anxiety?
When anxiety is triggered, it’s your crew telling you that something is too important to lose focus on. For example, you have a job interview. Your crew recognizes how important it is, and they make sure it stays at the top of your mind so it doesn’t get ignored or forgotten.
it’s the crew saying to the captain you need to pay attention for this
Why shouldn’t we ignore it?
when you ignore someone with an important message they might just start to speak louder to get heard, if you continue to ignore them, they might start to shout
I completely agree with this idea. And beyond that — why should we ignore what our subconscious is trying to tell us? Whether it’s a new business idea, a relationship, a big decision, a new technology changing the market, or a career issue — your crew is saying: “Hey, pay attention to this, because now is the right time.”
and the funny thing is, when you start listening to what your minds trying to tell you, it can stop shouting, when your crew stop shouting the captain can be heard
My conclusions
When you feel anxious, it’s not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean something negative. It simply means that the topic or decision you’re anxious about is important.
When you feel anxious, understand that this is your crew telling you, hey don’t ignore it! build actions items, Research. Plan. Build. Talk. Communicate. Consult. Trust your instincts. Make a decision.
Remember: as a Homo sapiens, anxiety is just another tool in your toolbox. It exists to help you reach your goals and desires
You are the captain sailing this ship. The crew is there to help you. You’re all on the same team. You know what your goal is — so communicate with your team, start sailing, and at the end of the day, try even enjoy the journey and not only to enjoy the destination…
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