It took me many years to reach the bottom of my anxiety/panic attack ridden life. I realized I had nowhere to go but up. I remember being at my parents house watching tv with them. The movie "Shawshank Redemption" was on. I remember a key moment in the movie where Morgan Freeman's character said the words I will never forget... he said, "You have two choices in this life, you either get busy living, or get busy dying." I chose life.
I think it was Lucinda that said in her book Panic to Power that recovery is 2 steps forward, 3 steps back. It's true. Just when I think I will never be rid of this thing, I look back at my life and see just how far I have come. I still have a ways to go, but I will take it step by step instead of overwhelming myself with the big picture.
The reason I chose the words step by step is because that is the title of a Whitney Houston song. She sings, "I'm taking it step by step, bit by bit, stone by stone, brick by brick...." When we set small goals for ourselves, when we succeed at them we become stronger and more empowered. We begin to gain a positive momentum forward. We climb mountains not with mighty leaps, but by passing over all the little pebbles in our path.
There is a quote that says courage isn't having the strength to go on, its going on when you don't have the strength. Try going on step by step, bit by bit, and soon you will have reached the top of that mountain.

Giselle25