CHAPTER 4
Breaking through
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” HELEN KELLER
Most people go through life allowing their feelings to determine their actions. If we’re anxious, we tend to avoid whatever is making us anxious. If we’re feeling low we tend to withdraw in some way. If we’re feeling angry we tend to express it or retaliate.
This link between feelings and actions usually has an evolutionary purpose. Feelings evolved primarily for the purpose of getting us to take action. Feeling hungry drives us to eat. Feeling cold drives us to try to get warm. These feelings and responses are clearly helpful for our survival.
But our responses to feelings are not always so productive. Take anxiety for example. Anxiety originally evolved ...
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