Learning To Live With Uncertainty with Estelle Frankel

MP3 Download As a young person, Frankel earned the nickname “Mistress of Catastrophic Expectations,” but with practice she was able grow beyond that habitual negative attitude. She gives an example of how focusing on the next indicated step can lead to less anxiety and increased creativity and energy. She learned this excellent lesson when working with someone who received a diagnosis of cancer. She says this client “taught me to focus on what is known rather than what is unknown.” There are many stages in the treatment of cancer that can cause extreme anxiety, but every day this person put her attention on what was right in front of her, singling out just the next indicated step. This is what saw her through. She has recovered and she’s now thriving and celebrating her life again. Frankel has learned that this is good practice, not just for dealing with cancer, and can serve us anytime we’re stepping into the unknown. She advises us to “focus not on the obstacles but on the open spac