𝗣𝗚 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽

 

𝗣𝗚 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽

Today, we need to look at one of the most common ways that focus goes wrong. It is what I call the 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽.

The Anxiety Trap works like this: 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.Something can be possible without being likely. But anxiety blurs that line. It takes what could happen and presents it as what will happen.

Here is a simple example. Imagine you are about to board an airplane. A thought enters your mind: "The plane could crash." True, it is possible. Plane crashes do happen. So the thought itself is factually correct. It is a possibility. But here is where the trap snaps shut. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗽.

𝗘𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿: 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 "𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻" 𝘁𝗼 "𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻."It treats a remote possibility as a probable outcome. And once that shift occurs, fear takes over. This is the Anxiety Trap, and it operates in every area of life.

𝗦𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽?

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.When an anxious thought comes, ask yourself: "Is this likely to happen, or am I just assuming the worst?"

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.When a thought says, "This could happen," do not let it become "This will happen." Capture that thought and say, "That is a possibility, but my God is bigger."

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱, 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹.He is not surprised by any possibility. And if you are in His hands, you do not need to be worried.

The Anxiety Trap wants you to live in a constant state of fear. But the truth is this: Just because something could happen does not mean it will happen. And even if it does, the One who holds you will never let you go. 

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗗 𝗞𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗸𝘂