“Anywhere is paradise; it’s up to you.” ~Unknown

Enough is enough. It’s time to get out of your own head.

Escape the endless anxiety and over-thinking, that constant stream of thought that dreads and fears; the inner voice that continually harps upon all that is “wrong” in your life and “bad” in your world.

Negativity entraps goodness, creativity, love and freedom within the walls of one’s own mind. Within those walls, fear breeds ego and the ego thus resides and flourishes.

Have haunting thoughts of worry and fear become so regular and routine that they now validate your very existence? Have you come to live, breathe and die by way of thinking and over-thinking, every single day? Does the concept of being worry-free terrify you?

Endless anxiety, a constant stream of dread and worry can become so normal to someone that they have begun to entrap you within the confines of your own mind. Incessant and never-ending thought can become the status quo, like an alcoholic with a perpetual buzz.

You’re stuck. You’re trapped. But simply by your choosing (remember, there is always choice) you must decide to get out of your own head.

1. ABANDON

Abandon what you hate, leave behind what you can afford to let alone.

Destroy that which enslaves you. Quit the job you hate, change the life you lead, and love more than yourself. Regrets of the past ought not hinder your decision-making today on behalf of your better tomorrow.

Escape the confines of your thoughts and strive to live, strive to awaken, strive to emerge, strive to fully be whole and human once again.

2. RELINQUISH

Relinquish your fear of what can’t be controlled.

Be relieved that so much in life can’t ever be fully understood or explained; that what is not for you to control is by the talent and curiosity and passion of another, his or her mission to embrace in hope of one day understanding and explaining to you.

Turn off the never ending thoughts that haunt you. Dismiss your worry, choose to change. Fear nothing. Embrace everything.

3. SEE

See the world for its beauty and its wonder.

Breathe in the air. Really breathe it in. Hold each gasp deep within your lungs until it pinches. Smell the nuance within each breath. See that everything is precious and finite, find the beauty in its simple existence.

Appreciate the ebb and flow of thin cloud overhead, how tree limbs dance in the breeze, that the sun even shines. Realize the world that surrounds you!

4. KILL

Kill your ego.

Question every decision you make. Ask whether your choices, your words, your actions, and all your behaviors serve to bolster your self-image or nurture your sense of humility.

Always choose humility.

Always side against the ego. Every choice made in the name of humility is one made on behalf of compassion, happiness and peace. Every decision made on behalf of the ego serves to incite fear, anger and resentment. Kill your ego. Choose to live for others instead of your simple and mortal self. Live among the world and its people or die having neglected to love them.

5. DECIDE

The decision is yours alone to make.

Abandon what is wrong. Relinquish what you fear. See the wonders of life. Kill your ego and escape your mind. Decide. Commit. Recommit. Go.

Enough is enough.

Step outside of your head, awaken to the day, and become fully immersed in the world that surrounds you. You can do it. Just don’t be so hard on yourself. Be kind instead.

Every journey begins with one step. Take one. Then, take another. Before you know it, your mind will be a friend, not an enemy. Your tool, not something that feels like it’s controlling you. Trust me. I’ve been there.

Now, let’s do it.