The C.O.R.E. Lies of Anxiety

Competition is bad when it comes with a toxic mindset, which it often does.

Competition leads to comparison, which leads to feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, or envy. It makes you see your fellow human beings as enemies. But they're not. They're people, just like you.

Competition is a lie that leads to anxiety.

Obligation is about judgment.

"I'm obligated to _________ because __________."

This mentality is a form of self-entrapment. You feel you don't have a choice, which makes you feel imprisoned by forces outside of your control. This can lead to feelings of powerlessness, anger, and resentment, all of which lead to anxiety. But you always have a choice. You make your own rules.

A reaction (re-action) means you're on autopilot. You're acting the same way you have in the past, regardless of whether said action is useful.

When you react, you're driven by emotion rather than rational thought. This often leads to panic, which leads to poor decisions that can have dire consequences. And when you're reactive, you likely feel out of control. You're act as if you're no longer in the driver's seat, but you are.

Expectation is about the future. It pulls you out of the now and into the realm of the imagination.

Expectations can be good or bad. Even if they're "good", they often lead to disappointment when expectations aren't met. At worse, you're disappointed. At best, you're relieved.

Expectations lead to worry, doubt, and disappointment, all of which feed anxiety.

The future is a lie. The now is real.