Thanks for continuing the conversation, Sam. It helps.

There are far more people than we realize who suffer from anxiety, and that's part of why I told the voice to shut up and clicked publish. Whenever I write a post, I write first for myself, and a very close second for people to get something out of it. If my post makes one person feel less alone, I consider that a great accomplishment.

I'll make a deal with you. I'll keep telling my voice to shut it, if you do the same to yours

I love the look of this redesign! But, more importantly, I love the direction this post has taken. Anxiety is one of those things that is rarely discussed yet thousands of people experience it on some level on a daily basis. The first step to understanding is awareness. And awareness comes from being honest with ourselves…and maybe even others. I am so incredibly proud of you for voicing what is too long kept in the dark.

Not everyone has to share their story in a public forum. I do so because it scares me and my blog became that place where I could be honest with others and myself in order to work through it. Whether you write about it on your own blog or in a journal or talk it out with a confidant, a friend — it's just important that everyone find the outlet that they feel comfortable in. Because the more you talk about it, the more aware you are of it. The more aware you are of it, the better you can find ways to cope. And the more people you let in, the greater your support network, the better people can understand. The better we can be there for you.

And we are here for you. And people do understand. More people than we can ever possibly imagine. Whether it be a sudden gripping panic at leaving the house or a turning stomach at standing up in front of a crowd or a generalized hyperawareness that makes you want to crawl out of the perceived spotlight and back into yourself, anxiety takes many forms and threatens to uproot your world, making you uncomfortable in your own life.

But it doesn't have to. And the more you turn around when someone is looking at you, the more you laugh at your squeaking shoes, the more you say screw it and hit publish, the more you're overcoming. You're winning. You're succeeding in one of the greatest personal challenges we can face.

I'm so glad you're acknowledging that voice, Sam. I'm so glad you're giving it the attention it deserves and then telling it to shut it. Keep it up

I'm glad you appreciated that point about everyone having a degree of anxiety. Often when I talk to someone about my anxiety issues, they tend to brush it off and say, oh that happens to everyone sometimes. In a sense, they're right, we all worry about things from time to time. It's human nature, so I wanted to acknowledge that, but at the same time show that there are people who worry above normal levels. Anyway, thanks for your comments!