The upside to anxiety

[vinceconaway]

I have a mild problem with anxiety. It's not so bad that I feel in need of medication, but it certainly affects how I see the world. Over the years my general coping strategy has been to devise contingency plans for any eventuality I can imagine, but my problems are invariably ones I hadn't predicted. In response, my ultimate contingency plan has become "I'll muddle through somehow", which stops the midnight chain of "what-ifs".

I have to admit, however, that there's been a silver lining over the years: many of my favorite decisions originated as contingency plans. "What happens if I get fired?" "I'll do this awesome thing". "That sounds fun, I quit".