My heart is racing. My chest tight. It’s all I can do to write this inaugural post. In fact, I’ve spent days….even weeks…avoiding this moment because my anxiety is so high.
Do you know that feeling?
I recently left my business, Asking Matters, because I wanted to broaden my exploration of human behavior beyond fundraising, the business that has occupied me for nearly 30 years.
But now, as I face the blank page of this new blog that willy-nilly launches tomorrow, I’m almost paralyzed with anxiety! (or is it excitement tinged with fear?)
Yup. ME…the person who often seems so sure. I can write books and articles. I can lead webinars and give cogent interviews. I can even speak without fear to audiences of 500 people or more!
But can I face the blank page of this new blog without a sense of dread and breaking into a sweat? Nope!
But today’s the day. And anxious or not, here’s my first post!
Welcome to TRY THIS…
Welcome to TRY THIS… a blog dedicated to exploring the fascinating ways of human behavior in a very personal and experiential way. No neuroscience here…just little creative games and experiments designed to help us unleash our potential. We’ll literally play with our minds and notice what makes us more effective, what gives us joy, what makes us more creative and what holds us back.
I believe that the key to living a full life has more to do with what’s inside our minds than what’s outside. And if that’s the case, greater happiness and fulfillment might be just some mind-play away.
I hope you’ll join me in exploring ideas and heightening your awareness by subscribing to the TRY THIS blog. All you need to do is to full out the form at the bottom of this page and on Tuesdays and Fridays of each week, you’ll get a new post in your inbox.
In each post, I’ll offer an idea that will serve as the basis for some mind-play. Each will end with specific thought experiment for you to try.
A Little Bit of Mind-Play Can Lead to Surprising Results
The mind-play won’t be difficult or dangerous or require any special skill other than your willingness to heighten your awareness about how you experience yourself and the world around you.
I hope you will comment about what happens to you as a result of your mind-plays in the comment box below. What did you notice? What changed in you, if anything? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about others?
Thank you for joining me in exploring who we are and what makes us tick.
ThisNotice Your Anxiety for Two Days
Do you know what triggers your anxiety? What sorts of things make you anxious? What do you feel like when you are anxious? Does your anxiety have a voice that chatters at you? Or is it just a set of sensations? And how do you respond to it? Does it motivate you to act or keep you from acting?
Make some notes about your anxiety. You’ll find that writing stuff down even in a sketchy way helps you see it more clearly in your mind’s eye. Notice whether being more observant about your anxiety heightens the sensation or eases it.
Don’t forget to share your experiences in the comment section below.
