One Simple Quote From a Lunatic That Keeps Me From Giving Up
Anxiety and philosophy.
Every time I compete in Jiu-Jitsu, I feel anxiety.
It’s not always a strong anxiety, but no matter what, anxiety is always for me there in some form. Just like armbars and chokes, it’s a part of the activity.
Sometimes, I feel anxious about my competition itself. Other times, I feel anxiety about other things before competitions (like finances, relationships, or “What am I doing with my life”) but these feelings are really just exacerbated by my anxiety about competitions.
But are those nerves that I’m experiencing really a problem? Are they really anything but temporary unpleasant sensations?
It’s honestly hard to tell.
I’ve competed hundreds of times, yet nerves are still there in some form or another every single time. The presence of my anxiety before competitions used to bother me a lot. It used to cause me sleepless nights, angry outbursts, and even mild out-of-body experiences.
But not so much anymore.
Here’s one key idea from everyone’s favorite lunatic philosopher that has helped me reframe my anxiety about BJJ competition and pretty much everything else in my life.
