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Simon's observations are very relevant and as this is such an important topic, I wish to expand the conversation. As musicians, we spend so many countless hours in the practice room preparing for the performance, (auditions, recitals, concerts) only to have those crucial few moments not go as we had hoped. When the focus of your life is fear-based, you tend to believe that your value is based on your performance. If you perform well, you are worthy; if you fail to perform well, you are worthless. Thus, fear will drive you to perform better and better in order to validate yourself. When you do not value yourself, you need others to value you and you place your worth in their hands. Virtually all fears can be traced back to self-esteem. Fear has many causes; fear of failure, fear of being hurt, fear of loss, fear of being exposed, etc., but ultimately all fear is the ego's fear of death. Anyone who is identified with their ego is disconnected from their true power, their authentic self and will always have fear as their constant companion.

Doubt your doubts.One of the fundamental doubts is doubting yourself. Believing your doubts is a mind trick that your ego plays on you. Doubts are not real; they are illusions created to keep ourselves from taking risks because we are afraid of failing. Doubts can manifest as anxiety, jealousy, arrogance and slander. With the absence of doubt, there are absolutely no limits to what you can accomplish.

There isn't a quick fix for anxiety, it takes time, patience and a desire to know yourself. I believe our personal growth is the meaning of life. Our job as humans is to know ourselves and to be ourselves. I can recommend a couple of books that I think are well worth the read for helping with the "bigger picture". Two books by Eckhart Tolle, "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth". Also, "The Voice of Knowledge" by Don Miguel Ruiz. Trying to prove yourself to others simply means you don't know who you are.

Too many people believe that if this happens or that happens, (I win the BIG job, I get married, I have children, I make x-amount of money) THEN I'll be happy. Life doesn't work that way. Don't wait for something to happen to be happy. Start being happy now. Don't let your fear be disguised as anger. One of the biggest decisions of our day is the decision of what mood will we be in that day. Stop resisting your life and start living your life. No one can tell you who you are. No one can write the story of your life. Don't give your personal power away to anyone.
Figure out what you want. Then, figure out what it's worth to you. Then, figure out what you're going to do about it.

Ted

Oye! Oye! Citizens of TubeNet! Read Ted Cox's post on this topic. There is great wisdom to be found. Those of you who are in college, or even high school, who are anything like I was at that time in my life, read it at least three times. It is a post to bookmark.