CityPages Kuwait June 2016 Issue June 2016 | Page 54

ANXIETY

Have you ever found yourself agitated
at the idea that people are staring at
you? That perhaps something is off
about you? Without any warning,
you find yourself wrapped up within
the cascade of insecurity and your
whole being drowns in it. Their eyes
flash so bright, through the balanced
rhythm of your psyche, distorting
any confidence you have.

Anxiety my friend, is at this point your worst
enemy.
Anxiety, my dear reader, is your ego’s fear of
disappointment and failure on a personal level;
subjected with the idea that self-worth is associated
with societal consonance. Consequently, being
wrapped up with that thought, you find yourself
worrying whether or not a presentation, whatever it
may be, meets the desired standards it was set to be.
When an individual is anxious, the mind automatically
focuses on many, if not all, negative outcomes a
situation could possibly embark, thus security is
completely demolished momentarily.

Mashael Ali Sadeq
A Kuwaiti hybrid studying medicine
abroad. The power of the human
mind captivates me. I write what
I have envisioned in my mind,
felt within my heart and seen
with my very own eyes. I believe
this modern world has destroyed
us. I aspire to stand side by side
with you as we paint the path
of re-ordering what has been
disordered by sharing points that
have helped me personally. I believe
the most important step for us in
this journey, is to first acknowledge
all that has been silenced in the
past. Together, we can conquer the
destroyed.

54

JUNE, 2016

Anxiety is a terrible disorder of the mind;
a gateway to excruciating psychological
disturbances painted by the facade of
perfection.
Let me explain this further. You see, our existence
is most unusual. We constantly seek approval and
gratification from others and have completely neglected
our basic need to develop a personal identity that is a
reflection of our own individuality. We have developed
a force that repels the essence of being comfortable in
our own skin as we seek verification and acceptance
from our environment. It is most unusual to expect
a normal functioning society with every individual
sharing the exact same physical, mental and ethical
characteristics. It is absurd to believe that achieving so
is possible or actually ‘normal’. Nevertheless, society
has taught us that outcasts are failures of some sort
and thus we, at some point in life, exist in agony when
we realize that in fact we are not all similar in most
ways, if any.
Let me remind you that we are part of a flawed society
that enforces placing judgement on things that dare
explore beyond its normal. We are part of a global
community where man dares to play the role of God
and sees himself fit to place criticism on others,
negating his own flaws. We are part of a dysfunctional
existence, constantly seeking validation in its disorder.
We have been arrogant enough to define normal and
exempt any form of natural state that disassociates
from its boundaries. Within creating this disorder, we
have thrust anxiety unto us.
Through our anxiety, we lose ourselves and question
our self-worth. I ask you, is this the way to lead your
life? Beating the drums to a rhythm that is distorted
and imbalanced with constant worry and unease?
Perhaps a reminder could help you rebalance what has
been distorted.
Do not forsake the power of I. Remind yourself who
you are.
I demand you gaze upon the sky to reach far beyond
what meets the eye, territories never painted in
our minds; The power of “I”. Embrace gratitude as
it warms up the beats in your heart. Are you not

MUSK

mesmerized by the deputants that have held you tall
and proud? Wonder-struck beyond this time; your
feet barely touch the grounds. The strength within
your chest as it rises above the tides, the battlefields
you’ve conquered, the scars of your time, still you
stand tall and proud. Let them stare at you for they
will never understand the reason why you stand
drowning in pride.
Read between the lines, through the lines and whatever
you can recreate within your mind. Should your
psyche be distorted, meditate through these words and
embrace the gift of silence.
Within solitude you find inner peace. You close your
eyes for a moment and silence some of your senses.
You strip your soul naked and embrace the fragility
of it. Dig deep into your soul and if you do so I salute
you, what a wonderful achievement. Recognize all
that you are and engulf all that's been shattered.
Numb out the negative factors and dig deeper into
your soul. Penetrate the barriers that have caged its
presence for so long, and become one. Silence your
ego, for it is not a friend of ours. Appreciate the gift
of silence, for within it you can amend all that's been
shattered and embrace the ruins of your mind. Accept
the brokenness and I demand you find peace within it.
Love all that you are and appreciate your existence,
for throughout all the fragility and brokenness, you
matter.
Embrace who you are.
The greatness within you is incomprehensible. Yes,
incomprehensible; for you can never understand
what you are capable of. YOU. You are that atom that
bombarded against the barriers of whatever universe
was caging it, harder than any other atom. You are
that atom that managed to get out of the box when no
other could. You are the atom th at had enough energy
to not only do that but developed into an egg when
it could have been flushed out as waste. You are that
atom that replicated long enough to become an egg,
which had what it takes to develop into bone, blood
and flesh. You are that atom that became a body that
bleeds and sheds millions of its duplicated atoms but
still stands tall and whole. You are that atom that
covers up the scars of what is now your flesh and
heals it. You are that atom that has created a heart
that roars with mighty and thunders through the
dark even when tears roll down. You are that atom
that has loved, trusted and was betrayed but still
seized resilience and embraced forgiveness.
You my friend, are the mighty atom, and let your
self-worth rumble through life. Fear not anxiety, for
once you silence your ego, you negate the enforced
complexity of societal consonance. Do not allow
yourself to be bombarded by the foolishness of manmade protocols of social etiquette. You, and only you,
mark the journey of your life. Do not let it be tainted by
the ludicrousness of a battle between ego and society.
You are a society in your own world, and let me tell you
this, through all your complexity and imbalance that
you force yourself into, you are whole. Embrace your
Feng Shui and restore balance within your psyche.
Remember, you are The Mighty Atom.