My Anxiety-Personal Narrative

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While I speak largely of anxiety as an affliction, it is also a motivating aspect of my identity that pushes me to work hard and never to settle. I have always been a high-achieving, competitive student. I have received many awards and academic scholarships, but never felt truly validated until I was awarded a Teaching Assistantship at the University of Central Oklahoma. This new role has caused me great distress and doubt, but has also rewarded me and validated me in ways that I had never even considered as possibilities. The image “Two Worlds” shows a black blazer hanging above a pair of Converse shoes. Professional dresswear symbolizes my role as a college instructor and my confidence that it has given me as a young academician. I worked …show more content…

My fiancé has been a saving grace in my life regarding anxiety. A high-achiever himself, he has helped me to develop coping mechanisms to quiet my anxiety when it lies to me and to use my anxiety as motivating force when it matters. This image of a circle with crosshairs is simple, but has changed the way I move through my daily decisions in life. One afternoon while he and I were at the shooting range, I became distressed over my inaccuracy with a handgun that I had recently purchased. I was taking my time to perfectly align my sights and to poise myself to have the perfect shot; yet, I could not hit bullseye. He noticed that I was overthinking and told me that all I had to do was point and shoot and that my intuition would guide me. I shrugged him off, but followed his advice and eventually hit the bullseye. This simple encounter has changed the way I approach the small decisions that usually cause me distress, even as minute as what to order at a restaurant. Anxiety causes me to think any decision I make could be the wrong one because of the infinite possibilities. The “point and shoot” mentality helps me to disregard those infinite possibilities and to follow my intuition. When I become overwhelmed with an

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