Mindset | Blog

What shows up in your mind and body when you see these images? Have you ever gone on a white-water rafting excursion in your life? If you are a white-water rafting fan, you probably yearn to go back to turbulent waters and experience the adrenaline rush. If you ask me, this was a once-in a life time experience for my family. None of us wish to ever repeat that event in our lives! As I began to write “Imperfectly Good,” I thought of my rafting experience and my clients who struggle with fears related to their religious and moral anxiety (Scrupulosity OCD). Many of them report, “It is as if I’m drowning on dry land.” So they fight for their lives and do whatever they can to escape the turbulent waters within them. Their frightful e

Do you ever feel like you’re traveling through life unable to choose your own path? Have you picked up some annoying and scary passengers along the way? Sometimes it may feel like you’ve been blindfolded, unable to choose where you are going. You are the captain of your life boat, not your anxious mind! 

Looking back at historical monuments is interesting. Speculating how things came about can be fun. But is trying to make sense of a past event working out for you? Have you noticed where obsessing and ruminating takes you? An event from the past is history and a memory. It’s no longer a fact no matter how often you go back in time. You can learn to live in the present!

When your mind gets too loud, are you willing to be flexible with what it says? You don’t have to be bound by the rules your anxious mind is imposing upon you. You can develop mental and emotional flexibility!

When anxiety becomes overbearing, is the urge to run away irresistible? What are you missing out on when you avoid the pain? You can learn skills to find joy and let go of your fear!

How often do you avoid or opt out of situations because they cause anxiety, uncertainty, or other unpleasant emotions? Consider what may be on the other side of your fear. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some

Or do you feel like you are going up and down a flight of stairs without a purpose? Are you spending excessive hours worrying and engaging in unhelpful behaviors? Is the urge to find certainty getting in the way of finding meaning in your life? There is hope!

None of us like uncertainty and if you struggle with righteous perfectionism (scrupulosity OCD), this is very difficult. Are you ready and willing to change your relationship with uncertainty?  What would your life be like if you were willing to experience uncertainty, even though you don’t like it?

When unpleasant thoughts and feelings show up, it may seem like you don’t have a choice in how to respond, but you do! You can choose the most traveled road (the easy path and compulsive behaviors) or the one less traveled (psychological flexibility) path. The least traveled path will require more work, patience, and effort, AND it will make all the difference!

Is religious and/or moral anxiety getting in the way of you focusing of what’s important in your life? Learn how to respond to your intrusive thoughts and focus on the here and now! Is religious and/or moral anxiety getting in the way of you focusing of what’s important in your life? Learn how to respond to your intrusive thoughts and focus on the here and now!