Summary Of Challenge By Another Name By James Lincoln Collier

In James Lincoln Collier’s, “Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name”, Collier explains that the anxiety people go through is just another challenge keeping us from doing what makes us happy. He believes anxiety can get bad enough to the point where it can become a challenge for someone to have a positive personal development. Personally, I agree with Collier’s view because anxiety can stop you from doing what you make you happy but they are challenges that help you build a stronger personal development once they are overcome. Typically, when someone has anxiety they may fall in a state of depression. Instead of living miserably, avoiding what made you anxious and depressed can help you improve your way of living and help you become a better person

At first he was very excited but then after thinking about it thoroughly he began to have his doubts. He then decided it was best to turned down the proposition because he had more reasons to stay than to go later deeply regretted not going especially when his friend returned with someone else and found out they had a great time. He “turned down something he wanted to do because he was scared” and he ended up feeling depressed (109). Not overcoming that challenge of being scared and feeling anxious made him unhappy and it ultimately helped him grow as a person. Although Collier was excited to have fun during summer, he let fear get the best of him. Holding back on a new experience and later regretting it can accumulate depression for someone. Making a vow to always do what you are scared of doing may make someone feel anxious but it is a great way to prevent being depressed. Overcoming a fear helps us battle anxiety and awards us with a boost of self-confidence. “We are at our strongest, most high functioning and confident when we have the ability to experience whatever is passing through our feeling sky, without having to run from it, pretend it’s not there or force it away”

Collier went through an experience like this during the end of his senior year. There were high expectations, of him having a high end career, put upon him but in his heart he wanted to make a living as a writer. In the end, Collier decided to become the write he wanted to be. In a situation like this, or any situation, being indecisive causes people to get anxious. Not only the idea of being confused as in what to do makes you anxious but having that unnecessary pressure of doing what others want you to do in order to not let them down can get nerve racking and add on to that anxiety. On the other hand, doing what is expected and dropping what you dream of can cause you to live an unsatisfying life thus causing you to get depressed at some point in your life because you regret not doing what makes you happy. Anxiety and depression may get in the way of living the life you’ve always dreamed of but we have to face these types of situations because they are challenges that we come across in our life’s that help us become the best person we can. Going through an experience like Collier’s may be overwhelming but in the long run it can help your personal development. If Collier would have not pursued his dream, he would not be the great writer he is