Collier’s Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name student example

Essay #2 Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name

In his essay “Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name,” James Lincoln Collier tells of several life experiences which led to anxieties in his life, and how these very stresses helped him to overcome his fears. Collier states he has developed three main rules regarding the handling of anxiety, each method either building confidence or ebbing away at opportunity. I was struck by how much I could relate to each of these rules, and how their application or avoidance has had a significant impact on the direction my life has taken.

The first rule Collier developed about anxiety is “do what makes you anxious, don’t do what makes you depressed” (35). This came about after he refused a friend’s invitation to spend a summer in a foreign country, his fears casting his excitement into its shadow. I recall feeling much the same way when, as a ten year old girl, I was presented with the opportunity to attend an elite school for advanced education. I was taken aback at being accepted, and the excitement of new friends, surroundings, and opportunities filled me with great anticipation. However, fears made their crafty way into my thoughts, and by the end of my summer vacation, they were a full- blown storm, easily burying all of my previous excitement in its wake. I eventually succumbed to my fears, and continued attending the same school where the familiarity of my surroundings kept me well within the bounds of my comfort zone. I still lament turning away from that challenge and often think about what doors may have been opened for me had I taken it. But the opportunity lost definitely showed me the value of confronting my anxieties, much as it did for Collier, and helped me to build my character and courage for challenges yet to come.

Consistent jitters over interviewing celebrities led Collier to his next revelation about anxiety: “You’ll never eliminate anxiety by avoiding the things that cause it” (36). Finding myself pregnant with my first child, I recall feeling overwhelmed by the fears of this impending responsibility. The financial, emotional, physical, and spiritual indications of raising a child left me feeling altogether terrified! But as my burgeoning tummy imposed its reality upon me, I stopped avoiding practical thoughts, and finally embraced them. As I educated myself about the preparations I needed to make, I found myself feeling more confident, capable, and adaptable. On the special day when I finally held my daughter in my arms, I knew the preparation I’d made preceding her birth gave me the courage to be her mother. New situations arise every day, but just as Collier became not only accustomed, but excited, by interviews with celebrities, motherhood excites me, and drives me consistently to choose well and love better every day.

Choosing to accept the fear of the unknown, Collier writes how embracing an assignment in another country allowed him to form his final rule about anxiety: “you can’t learn if you don’t try” (36). He knew nothing of the culture, language, or geography of this country, but viewed all of these as opportunities to learn. Being a college student for the first time in fifteen years brings much the same feeling for me. The material, discipline, and environment had been far removed for a long time, giving me great reservations about my ability to jump in with both feet and take on the challenge. But as my doubts continued, so did the nagging fear that if I didn’t take this opportunity, I would never know if I could do it. So I seized it, welcoming the trials, often finding myself surprised, sometimes even delighted, with what I am achieving. My school experience has emboldened me and bolstered my spirits to the extent that I look forward with great anticipation to my next challenge; my next opportunity to learn something new, not only about my world, but about myself. As Collier’s experiences led him to be an adept traveler, I too am eager to acquire my own confidence through passion, courage, and consistency.

Anxiety is an inevitable reality of life. Whether we embrace it as a catalyst for growth, or avoid it only to breed new worries about what might have been, it will continue to rear its head, and whether it is ugly or beautiful is all a matter of perception. Collier writes, “Accept anxiety as another name for challenge, and you can accomplish wonders” (37). I say accept the challenges anxiety will bring, and you will flourish. I know it has worked for me.

Works Cited

Collier, James Lincoln. “Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name.” Reader’s Digest Sept. 1997: 35-37