When You're Feeling Insecure Treasure It!

When you're feeling insecure do you treasure it?
I treasure it
Feel the pull of nature's course and treasure it
Treasure it
Feel the pull, feel the swing,
There's no value `til you treasure it.
The Fixx, Treasure It*

“When you’re feeling insecure, treasure it? You’ve got to be kidding, right? I mean who treasures feeling insecure or bad about themselves?” These are the thoughts that used to run through my head when I first heard the song Treasure It by The Fixx back in 1986. I didn’t understand the meaning of this lyric until 10 years later, and it was one of the most empowering experiences of my life.

In 1996 I began lecturing at the Cathedral of St. Louis. It was a tremendous challenge for a person who didn’t treasure himself or his insecurities. That first morning, I was in a side chapel before Mass started, and I was a nervous wreck. I had to get up in front of a crowd and read! Oh my God! How was I gonna do that? The fear was causing me to shake uncontrollably. I begged and pleaded with God to take the anxiety away, but the more I prayed the worse my anxiety got.

Then suddenly out of nowhere came the chorus of Treasure It: “When you’re feeling insecure, treasure it. Feel the pull, feel the swing. There’s no value ‘til you treasure it.” The lyric and melody played through my head over and over, and then it occurred to me that maybe I was making a mistake in fighting my fear of standing up before a crowd. “Maybe I should treasure my anxiety,” I thought. “After all, anyone who has to speak before a crowd is going to be anxious, right? So the fact that I’m anxious means I’m normal. Normal! That’s a great thing!”

Suddenly there was a huge smile beaming across my face. I still felt anxious, but there had been a tremendous change in my anxiety. It had gone from a devastating feeling to a joyful feeling—a sort of joyful anxiety. I stood up and knew that I could now face the crowd. As Mass began, I sat on the altar area awaiting my chance to read the Epistle. I looked out at the crowd and thought “Hi people! Look at me! I’m looking at you and I’m OK!”

When my time to read came, I stood up, walked over to the ambo and looked out at the crowd. For a moment I thought to myself “Look at me people! I’m standing here before you and I’m not having a nervous breakdown!” I proceeded to read. It went fine and I returned to my chair—triumphant. What I had thought was going to be a nightmare had instead become a true treasure of an experience. And I’ve never had any problems facing a crowd ever since that day.

At the time of this great personal triumph, I was just beginning to understand that what we focus on grows; and the more we fight something, like feeling anxious, the more negative power we give the anxiety. It intensifies when we try to control it. This is why it’s better to treasure it. To try and control something is to go against “the pull of nature’s course,” as the song Treasure It says. We need to “feel the pull, feel the swing” of the tension, or the insecurity within us. We need to allow it to be there and we need to be present to it, own it, accept it, embrace it and treasure it—‘cause “there’s no value ‘til you treasure it.”

So treasure and triumph over your insecurities—and allow your soul to shine!

*From the 1986 album Walkabout by The Fixx.

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