In my previous blog, I explored the concept of The Divine Absurd—how embracing life’s paradoxes can lead to true freedom. Today, I want to take that further by looking at existential anxiety or dread, not as a curse, but as an essential part of our awakening. Instead of seeing it as an enemy, what if we treated anxiety as a guide—an unlikely but trusted companion on the journey of transformation? 

Let’s be honest: if you don’t experience anxiety in today’s chaotic world, congratulations—you either live in a Himalayan cave or you’re a fully realized sage who can walk on water. But for the rest of us still on the path, myself included, anxiety is a frequent visitor. It arrives uninvited, rattling the doors of our mind, demanding to be acknowledged. And maybe—just maybe—that’s exactly what it’s meant to do. In this blog, you'll discover a powerful process for transforming anxiety from a source of suffering into a tool for growth and awakening.

Have You Been Hitting Snooze on Your Life?

Have you ever buried anxiety under paralysis? Have you ever suppressed it with drugs, alcohol, or mindless distractions? Have you ever let society lull you into numbness, following the herd because it was easier than facing the trembling voice inside you?

Anxiety is the alarm clock of the soul—a wake-up call from the great beyond, shaking us out of illusion and into clarity. Ignore it, and you risk sleepwalking through life. Worse, you risk becoming like Ivan Ilyich in Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich—a man who, only at the end, realizes he has lived the wrong life, a hollow existence dictated by convention instead of authenticity.

But what if, instead of silencing anxiety, you listened to it? What if anxiety was the doorway to your awakening?

My Story: How Failing the MCAT Awakened Me

I was a double major in biology and philosophy, thriving academically with a 3.7 GPA. My entire future as a doctor hinged on one thing: passing the MCAT. I studied obsessively. I told myself failure was not an option.

And then, the night before the exam, I didn’t sleep. Not a single minute. My mind raced, my chest tightened, my body felt like it was vibrating from the weight of expectation. I walked into the test in a fog, my spirit drained, and I failed.

It felt like my dreams had cracked wide open. But in that moment of despair, I asked myself:

What is this anxiety trying to show me?

Instead of drowning in self-pity, I turned inward. That’s when I discovered mindfulness and meditation. Their teachings became my refuge. That summer, I took it even further—I traveled to the ashram of Swami Jyotirmayananda, where I immersed myself in meditation, stripping away everything I thought I knew about control and surrender.

And something miraculous happened.

Anxiety stopped being the enemy. It became my teacher. Instead of fearing it, I sat with it. I witnessed it. I learned that anxiety wasn’t there to torment me—it was pointing me toward growth.

When I retook the MCAT, I wasn’t just more prepared academically—I was a different person. Meditation and mindfulness had rewired my entire approach to stress, focus, and self-mastery. I passed. And for the past 28 years, meditation has remained at the core of my life and medical practice.

Anxiety: The Battle Between Fear and Reality

We’ve been conditioned to see anxiety as something to be erased. But what if we saw it instead as the tension between who we are and who we become?

• In Buddhism, suffering (dukkha) arises from attachment to things that are impermanent. Anxiety reminds us of this impermanence—it shakes us awake from the illusion of control.

• In existentialism, anxiety is the dizziness of freedom. It is what we feel when we realize we alone create meaning in our lives. Your thoughts create your experience.

• In The Divine Absurd, anxiety is both—it is the tremor of awakening, the great revealer that forces us to choose: Will you numb yourself into conformity, or will you wake up and live freely?

Think about it: anxiety preceded every moment of transformation in your life. The tension before a significant decision. The fear before a leap into the unknown. The discomfort before a breakthrough. Anxiety is the signpost pointing to your evolution.

The Fourfold Path: W.E.L.L. – From Anxiety to Awakening

Instead of running from anxiety, we can use it as a tool for transformation. In The Divine Absurd, we follow a fourfold path—WELL:

1. Witness Anxiety

Instead of resisting it, observe it. Where do you feel it in your body? What thoughts is it triggering? Anxiety is impermanent—when you sit with it, it loosens its grip.

2. Engage With Anxiety

Ask yourself: What is this anxiety trying to show me? Is it revealing a path you’re too afraid to take? A truth you’ve been avoiding? Anxiety is a compass—it points to the places where your soul grows.

3. Laugh at Anxiety

In the end, life is both deeply meaningful and utterly absurd. The universe is not handing you a script—it’s inviting you to play, experiment, and create. When you see anxiety for what it is—not a curse, but a cosmic invitation—you can laugh in its face and move forward with courage. It's a healing experience.

4. Love Yourself Through Anxiety

Anxiety will come and go, and it may never fully disappear—but love yourself anyway. Trust that anxiety, like all things, has a beginning, a middle, and an end. And when it rises, instead of fearing it, befriend it.

When you do, anxiety stops being a tormentor and becomes a guide. Like a wise teacher, it will still challenge you, still shake you awake—but now, you will know how to listen.

Don’t Die With Your Music Still Inside You

There is music inside you. A song, a vision, a purpose that only you can bring into the world. But so many people let fear and anxiety silence that music. They trade passion for security, creativity for comfort, truth for approval.

Don’t be one of them. Let us not be a sheep that fall asleep.

The alarm clock is ringing. Will you hit snooze and go back to sleep?

Or will you wake up, embrace the tension, and step fully into your new life?

Anxiety is not here to destroy you. It is here to wake you up. It is here to ignite a 

transformation within you, guiding you toward your highest, most authentic self.

Disclaimer: The medical stories shared by the author are based on real patient encounters. All patient identifiers and medical facts have been removed and altered to such a degree that you are reading a work of fiction. Therefore the stories shared are merely to entertain you. However, for the astute reader you may find powerful and profound lessons for living. These messages of universal truth should not be construed as medical advice, but feel free to use them as free Cuban soul spice to live your truth.