The “Let Go Anxiety” Entry

I love movies.

I always believe that I can learn from movies, whether it’s a new perspective or a powerful life lesson woven into the story.

One of my favourite watches this year has been “Inside Out 2”

In the movie, Riley, the main character has grown into?a teenager. With that growth comes a new set of emotions, more complex than the basic ones we saw in the first movie which are joy, disgust, sadness, fear and anger.?

Now, Riley is dealing with embarrassment, jealousy, ennui and the antagonist of the film: anxiety.

In the first part, Inside Out, Joy was the leader in Riley’s control room, that is, the one who guided most of her decisions.

Well, this was until Sadness accidentally took over, and many of her decisions were made from a place of sadness.

In the sequel, Anxiety takes a much more prominent role.

As Riley matures, Anxiety is introduced, and she decides that Riley needs a more “sophisticated” emotional toolkit. This leads her to banish Joy and the other core emotions from the control room.

For most of the movie, Riley made decisions with anxiety in control, and you can imagine how much of a disaster that was.?

Riley’s friendships, her decision making, and even her confidence are all clouded by anxiety. With every decision, Riley overthinks and expects the worst possible outcome.

We’ve all been there at some point, haven’t we? That feeling of being controlled by anxiety, where every little thing feels like it could go wrong, and you’re stuck in a cycle of overthinking. It’s so tiring.

Watching Riley’s journey unfold felt like seeing my own anxious thoughts on the screen.

Towards the end of the movie, Riley reaches a breaking point, and she experiences a full-blown panic attack from all her anxious thoughts.

The producers do a good job depicting her panic as a storm caused by Anxiety's constant push.

But just when things seem out of control, Joy finally makes her way back into the control room.

What happens next is my favourite part of the movie

Joy steps into the control room to see all the chaos that Anxiety has caused. The storm of panic and fear that Anxiety has created is overpowering Riley, and Joy has to act fast.

Joy confronts Anxiety first by saying;

“Anxiety, you don’t get to say who Riley becomes”?

And her final statement was just as profound

“Anxiety, you need to let her go”

This last statement finally made anxiety yield control.?

After this, Riley begins to embrace all of her emotions and learns to live with them in harmony, allowing joy, sadness, fear, and even anxiety to exist together without any one emotion overpowering the others.

I loved every part of Inside Out, but my favourite part was this scene. Watching Joy tell Anxiety to let go reminded me that I have the power to decide which emotions control my decisions. Anxiety might show up, but it doesn’t have to control my actions. I can acknowledge it, but I can also choose joy, confidence, or even peace in its place.

This is a lesson we should all learn.

It is really hard to not let anxiety take over in these uncertain times that we are in, I know. But what does anxiety change?

I mean sure there are some benefits of having a hundred plans created out of fear of one failing, but is that fear what you want to feel forever? And what happens when the same fear stops you from execution?

You need to let anxiety let you go.

It might seem like it is overwhelming, and you are not in control of how you feel, but you are.

A lot of the time, we hold on to our negative emotions because they are easier, or that is what we are used to.

Well, not anymore.

You need to let it go.

Anxiety, with all its fear and overthinking, does not get to define you. It does not get to determine your future or limit your potential.

Joy’s statement was a reminder that, while anxiety may be a part of our emotional experience, it does not have the final say.

Anxiety often takes over when dealing with new challenges or when you need to step out of your comfort zone.

Anxiety might tell us to expect the worst and to retreat into safety. But we do not have to listen to those words. We can take back control, just like Joy did.

When anxiety tells you to overthink, respond with clarity. When it tries to paralyze you, remind yourself that you are capable of handling more than you think.

It doesn’t mean anxiety will disappear forever, but it means it doesn’t have to define who you are or limit what you can do.

So, next time you find yourself in a storm of anxious thoughts, take a breath. Acknowledge the anxiety, but don’t let it decide your path. Joy, and every other positive emotion, deserves a place at your control panel too.

BOOK I AM READING THIS WEEK: I’m still reading Stories from the tenants downstairs by Sidik Fofana

I wish you an amazing week!

See you next Sunday.

Your trusty growth partner,

Dee?