Almost everyone has faced fear, anxiety, or self-doubt at some point. For many, these feelings cast a shadow over their ability to truly embrace happiness, experience inner peace, and live fully.

Anxiety often stems from a deep state of misperception or confusion. That’s why it can’t be solved with just deep breaths, yoga classes, or lavender oil. While these might offer temporary relief from anxiety symptoms, they don’t address the root cause of anxiety. Let me explain.

You're Solving the Wrong Problem

The anxious mind craves security, control, and stability. But, like the old country song goes, "I was lookin' for love in all the wrong places," you’ve been seeking certainty where it doesn’t exist—in the external world around you. No matter how hard you try, you won’t find lasting stability in a world that is constantly changing.

When you search for calm and clarity in an unpredictable world, you may end up feeling even more:

Anxious
Uncertain
Overwhelmed
Stressed
Lonely
Isolated
Stuck
Depressed
Worried

You’re trying to solve the "certainty" problem by attempting to control the uncontrollable—circumstances, events, other people, and the world at large. This only triggers more anxiety.

The Real Problem (and the Secret Solution)

Anxiety is just a symptom of a deeper issue: disconnection from your inner power. You think, believe, and focus in ways that cause you to feel disconnected from where your true power and certainty reside. This sense of separation makes you feel powerless and out of control.

Your real power lies within you. It’s that deeper part of you that is calm, confident, all-knowing, and wise. Unfortunately, this powerful aspect of your being often gets overlooked. Days, weeks, months, or even years can go by without you truly connecting to it.

The quality of your connection with this inner self—not just knowing about it, but truly linking with it—is directly related to the amount of peace, stability, and joy you experience. This inner part of you is where your power originates, and it’s where your certainty lives, 24/7.

I delve into this in my bestselling book, If I'm So Spiritual, Why Am I Still So Anxious? When you develop an unwavering relationship with your wise inner guide—your true nature—you tap into the secret solution to breaking free from fear and anxiety.

The Wisdom of the Ancient Yogis

The ancient yogis understood this well. The first teaching of The Yoga Sutra, one of yoga’s foundational texts, says that if you truly understood who you are at your core, you would not suffer. What a powerful promise!

Many people try to solve anxiety with the same thinking that perpetuates it. The key is to focus your energy, thoughts, and trust on the unchanging part of you—what I call your “soul circle”—rather than on the ever-changing external world.

You don’t have to ignore life’s challenges or pretend everything is perfect. But you do need to live from a place of certainty and discernment about where your power truly resides. Otherwise, you may find yourself on a hamster wheel of temporary fixes, never solving the real problem.

 

As Viktor Frankl wisely said, "When you are no longer able to change a situation, you are challenged to change yourself."

 

So, take that deep breath. Go to that yoga class. Enjoy the soothing scent of lavender. But most importantly, take time every day to connect to the brilliance, power, clarity, and certainty of your own soul.