Have you ever been fishing before? You know, it's kind of like life. You cast your line, and you wait. But sometimes, life has a funny way of throwing you a curveball. A fishhook of a different kind – anxiety.

You see, anxiety is a lot like this hook right here. It gets under your skin, it tugs at you, and it doesn't let go. But, you've got two choices when that happens. You can keep thinking about how to get it out, or you can be proactive and take action to get it out.

Imagine, walking into a therapist office and talking about this fishhook that you have in you. You proceed having a conversation of how it happened, maybe anything that contributed to it in the past. You're talking about the pain and how frustrating it is. You leave the office feeling heard and understood. But that fishhook is still there. This becomes part of you you go back to your second, third fourth fifth appointment and talk about the same thing. but guess what that fishhook is still in you.

Comparing this to OCD and anxiety, they are like the fishhook. We can talk and talk and talk and talk and talk about it but it's not actually going to make it go away but this thing happened in my past and my dad did this to me and I got bullied at school and I tripped and got really embarrassed and and and and....I'm going to stop you right there. It's great to have a story. That makes you you, but let's move forward.

Imagine casting your line, and you feel that sudden tug on your fishing rod. Anxiety can be like that unexpected tug, and it's often scary. It's uncomfortable, and our first instinct is to recoil, to retreat.

But remember, just like that fishhook, anxiety won't release its grip unless you do something about it. So, let's dive deeper into why moving closer to anxiety is crucial for your personal growth and well-being.

What I'm trying to tell you is that you must do something behaviorally to get this fishhook out instead of just talk about it. No way is it comfortable.

Now, I want to share a personal story. About a year ago, I was facing crippling anxiety. It was affecting my work, my relationships, my overall quality of life. I wanted it gone – I wanted that darn hook out! So, I did what most people do initially – I tried to avoid the anxiety, to push it away, to pretend it wasn't there. But just like trying to remove a hook from a fish by pulling harder, it didn't work. In fact, it made things worse.

It was only when I made the decision to move closer to my anxiety that I began to see real change. I embraced it and stopped trying to control it. By moving closer to my anxiety, I found the strength to overcome it. I learned that it wasn't a threat, but rather an opportunity for growth, self-discovery, and self-improvement.

Now I've done a lot of fishing in my life and this is the worst part. Getting that darn hook out of the fish whether they swallowed it or it's stuck on the side of its mouth. Either way is designed to stay rather than come out easily.

Did you know that you actually have to push the hook in ever so slightly to get it out? You can't just yank at it. That's way more painful.

This is something to remember with anxiety. It is designed to continue to make you feel safe to make you feel like it's protecting you. When really it's only reacting to false signals.

This is why we move closer to anxiety so we can feel free. Moving closer means, I am actively not reacting to the perceived threats anymore. Essentially what this means is I am facing my fears. And I am responding in a completely different way than I normally would. Teaching my brain that I can handle hard things and you don't need to keep reminding me that I could be in danger.

Now, if you want to dive deeper into this or explore more ways to enhance your skills and well-being, . go check out the master your OCD online course that takes you how to face these fears, step-by-step and regain control. Let's get that darn hook out the right way.

I want you to think about this the next time you find yourself continually talking about the problem. We're talking get this fishhook out of me? Most likely not. Let me know down in the comments what fishhooks you still hold onto.