There is no doubt that the mind changes as it ages. You’ll be a different person in your 20s, 30s, and so on.
For some, brain deterioration is genetic. While you can’t medicate mental problems away, you can upgrade your internal software by widening your perception and controlling your emotions to so-called triggers.
The human brain is plastic
Strengthening the operating system protects against the destructive forces of sensory stimulants that try to undermine chemical synchronicity. Knowing that you can gauge your reactions to uncertainty while strengthening the bonds between neurons and synaptic connections helps alleviate anxiety’s thinking problem.
Babies are born platform agnostic; it’s mostly the environment that shapes their internal compass as they grow into adults. Health, philosophy, and social behaviors produce an entire ecosystem of choices where balancing the right springs and gears to maintain the human clock is the key, per say.
We all have desires, dreams, and moon shots. But we needlessly waste time in the trenches of instant gratification. A like here, a comment and follow there. Trading long-term initiatives for short-term goals makes immediate delivery less special. The digital world has shrunk our patience and passion for the long haul. Instead, we could be focused on creating something that people talk about long after we die.
The 10 tips outlined in this book are intended to unlock your creativity more consistently. Over time, you’ll develop your own curiosity and rigor. You only live once but your art lives on forever.
Uninspired with the routine of daily corporate life, Paul takes an impromptu trip out to the West Coast to ride the train from Seattle down to Los Angeles with the aim of writing a book. Along the way, he faces all the roadblocks one encounters in penning a novel, including writer’s block, self-doubt, and digital distractions.
Brimming with Paul’s curious journal entries and profound observations, this 36-hour odyssey is essential reading for both the wanderer and aspiring artist seeking a deeper pathway in life.
This book provides 20 tips and actionable steps to help you better control your OCD. It’s based on the real-life experiences of Wells Baum, who discovered he had the disorder at 25 and created his own ways to break free from OCD’s mental prison, including turning bad thoughts into instruments for creativity.
Rule OCD: 20 Tips to Overcoming OCD may also be helpful for people with general anxiety and self-doubt.
Remember, you are not your OCD. Accept your thoughts and move on.
Anxiety is a thinking problem. It is a presence in flux, stuck in gear between looking backward and looking forward simultaneously.
To better cope with the onslaught of worry, you need stronger cognitive tools or algorithms to live by. You need some cognitive presets and habits to inculcate them.
For example, a basic tenet of Stoic philosophy is that ‘What’s outside my control is indifferent to me.’ Another way to step back, is to realize that imagination is always worse than reality.
If you’re looking for more tactical strategies for coping with anxiety, particularly Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), please consider reading my book Rule OCD: 20 Tips to Overcoming OCDwhere I outline 20 tips for dealing with the doubting disease.
Habits will change your life
If you want to get unnecessary doubts under your control, consider practicing some positive daily habits like meditation, fear-setting, or journaling. I recommend writing by hand in a daily journal like The Five Minute Gratitude Journalor if you’re an artist, the ever-popular Morning Pages Journal. It’s these kinds of diurnal practices that reinforce affirmative beliefs like bicep curls for the brain.
People worry as a preventative. But it’s not worth worrying before it’s time, inching closer to the giant sucking sound of a depressing gif loop.
“I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.”
Mark Twain
Try to avoid looking forward to a future you can’t control. The sooner you embrace uncertainty and greet your anxiety instead, the more present and happier you’ll be.
Pro tip: One of the ways I also encourage people to get unstuck is to blog out their anxieties (btw, you can start a free blog on WordPress right here). When it comes to blogging effectively, you have to be a little vulnerable. Don’t tell all but don’t hide everything either, especially if your advice will benefit the lives of other people.
Uninspired with the routine of daily corporate life, Paul takes an impromptu trip out to the West Coast to ride the train from Seattle down to Los Angeles with the aim of writing a book. Along the way, he faces all the roadblocks one encounters in penning a novel, including writer’s block, self-doubt, and digital distractions.
Brimming with Paul’s curious journal entries and profound observations, this 36-hour odyssey is essential reading for both the wanderer and aspiring artist seeking a deeper pathway in life.
PS. Please let me know your feedback on the book on Twitter. Which chapter or line is your favorite? What would you have liked to read more of? Just send a tweet to @bombtune or email me at wellsbaum[at]gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!
“My mom found this book just a few hours ago & sent it to me. I am so happy that she did! Very helpful and its refreshing to know that I’m not alone. It’s short, straight to the point, u0026amp; very helpful!” – H.J. McCarrol
This book provides 20 tips and actionable steps to help you better control your OCD. It’s based on the real-life experiences of Wells Baum, who discovered he had the disorder at 25 and created his own ways to break free from OCD’s mental prison, including turning bad thoughts into instruments for creativity.
Remember, you are not your OCD. Accept your thoughts and move on.
PS: If you want a free copy, you can download it in various formats for all devices right here. A donation in return (see after post) is welcome and much appreciated.
April 11, 2013 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase Encouraging and practical concepts to support the struggle with OCD. I appreciate the author’s sharing things that actually helped him with others. It’s a tough road, and any and all support is wonderful. 2 people found this helpful Helpful
September 9, 2012 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase I found this book to be very easy to read, and straight to the point. The whole 20 Rules can be read over a cup of coffee. So no need to caught up in a book explaining the whole OCD thing. When you need a reminder or a refresher of the rules, sit down have a coffee and your done. Great book, thankyou Wells. 2 people found this helpful Helpful
May 10, 2013 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase This book is brief and inexpensive, but could prove useful for those with OCD or anxiety. It’s short format is useful to read quickly and revisit. It’s presentation is clear and candid. Helpful
October 8, 2014 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase Very helpful, Ty for writing the book, we need more books like this, it really really helps so very much One person found this helpful Helpful
February 3, 2013 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase I found this a helpful deluge. Thanks for a new perspective on ice. I find my ocd uncomfortable, but with the help of this book maybe it will be less uncomfortable for me. Quick informative easy read Helpful
July 6, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
This is an excellent, succinct book that is a quick, easy read with practical truth offered in each of the 20 tips.
Helpful
Decisions are multi-faceted. They can be manifested as desires, little bets about how you want things to go. After all, all believing is betting.
However, you can also decide against your best wishes. No one wants to put a sick dog to sleep. Difficult decisions paralyze people’s judgment. “Sometimes it’s not what I want to do but what I ought to do,” admits the elder woman in the video from Andrew Norton.
Decisions can be murky too. In Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, is the ‘right thing’ to cause a ruckus or sit back and preach non-violence? Mookie the protagonist postpones his own anxiety, feeling action is necessary despite breaking the law. He deals with the consequences.
Sometimes the right answer comes about through experience–a mere function of your mistakes. That is, first you decide and then you deduce, analyzing the call after the fact. Decision-making is a skill, growing stronger with more deliberate practice.
“There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision, and for whom the lighting of every cigar, the drinking of every cup, the time of rising and going to bed every day, and the beginning of every bit of work, are subjects of express volitional deliberation.
William James
In the words of Seth Godin: “You don’t need more time, you just need to decide.” You cannot afford to hesitate in a sea of doubt. Dance with fear or risk of living with regret. Indecision is still a decision or rather suspend doubt, DECIDE, and bear the responsibility.
