I asked a friend why people seem more anxious in this modern world.
She thought for a moment and quickly answered, “The world is too big.”
“We are so connected,” she said, “The world that we live in is so much bigger than it used to be. We have so much more information, but we don’t necessarily have more control. We live in a much larger sphere of knowledge, so much more to worry about.”
“… and so little that we can control!” I said… suddenly understanding the profound wisdom that I had just heard.
We talked for a bit longer about how to solve this problem.
“One remedy for anxiety seems to be to focus on what we can control.,” I said, “Either, how can I shift my focus onto the things that I can influence? Or, how can I enlarge my sphere of influence to include everything in my focus?”
My friend smiled insightfully, “Which question is right for you?”
