Freedom from anxiety [video]

A glimpse inside my recent panel discussion

Last month, I was invited to speak at Awakenpedia’s virtual retreat, Freedom From Anxiety.

I was on a panel to close out the weekend with my dear friends, Marta and Corissa, where we discussed our own experiences with anxiety and liberating ourselves from it— and liberating ourselves from the desire to liberate ourselves from it (yeah).

I don’t prepare for things like this, so I didn’t know where it was going to go, which is typically my preference. I was, however, asked to prepare an introduction video.

In recording it, I realized that it had been quite a while since I’ve experienced what I would identify as anxiety. It used to consume me. Now it feels like something I’ve shed (shedded? idk). It’s like an old coat I no longer wear and forgot I even had.

Reflecting on my experiences with anxiety felt like I was reflecting on a different life, a different self.

In many ways, I was.

So when Cam asked me my own freedom from anxiety, it was interesting to put the pieces together.

Here’s my response:

This is just a brief glimpse of what we covered. If you liked this and want to watch more, I’m posting an extended cut of my panel discussion responses in my community, The Self-Explorers Club. If you’re not already a member, it’s free to join and you can check it out there.

If you want to experience the entire panel discussion and other events from the retreat, you can learn more and rent it here from Awakenpedia.

There’s a lot more I have to say about the topic of anxiety. For now, I want to share that my freedom from anxiety didn’t come from my professional mental health experience, clinical trainings, cognitive behavioral therapy, external changes, psychedelics, or any other substance… it ultimately came from spirituality.

Trust in myself. Trust in life.

Trust in divine intelligence.

It came from unwavering faith.

Faith is the antidote to fear.

Let me know if there are any questions you have around the topic and I’ll get to them.

Mental and emotional suffering is optional.

Zack