Anxiety: Common Ground (90 Second Read)
Daniel Crosby • January 17, 2024

One of the things about anxiety that connects us all is that it is universal. We’ve all felt it at some point. In fact, there’s probably a lot more that you have in common with others than you may realize.


My former pastor, Michael Easley, once said that there are 4 things that all people have in common:


1. Everyone is Insecure


Everyone is insecure about something. Think of the more gorgeous Instagram influencer you could ever imagine. She’s definitively insecure. Think about the biggest toughest NFL football player. Yep, he’s insecure too. We all hide behind our masks hoping that no one will root out our insecurity.


2. Everyone is Overwhelmed


No one has it all together. Life is hard and it beats you down. If you feel overwhelmed, don’t be fooled into thinking you’re the only one. That person in the checkout line with you may have a smile on their face but you never know what they may be dealing with internally.


3. Everyone is Under-encouraged


In all my years of counseling people, no one has ever said, “Daniel, please stop encouraging me. I’ve had a little too much encouragement today.” Have you ever had that feeling when someone paid you a genuine compliment unexpectedly. Keep that in mind next time someone looks down.


4. Everyone Needs a Friend


No one is a one-man-army even though they may want you to think so. The most powerful think you can give someone is friendship. C.S. Lewis said, “Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .”

 

HOMEWORK:

1. Remind yourself that you’re not alone in this. Everyone struggles with these things.

2. Considering sharing your struggles with another safe person who you know is struggling. “The thing that is worse than hurting is hurting alone.”

 

Every day I help hurting frazzled people by walking with them as they get back on the path toward becoming who God created them to be. Shoot me an email if there’s anything I can do to help you or someone you know.

"Uncomfortable" Book Review

By Daniel Crosby • May 7, 2025
“Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community” by Brett McCracken is a great book to read if you’re a church person or if you’ve become somewhat detached and frustrated with the church. McCracken challenges all of us, conservatives and progressives, to think about the WHY behind Christian community and one of the fundamentals of finding the WHY is approaching it with humility. Maybe you having it your way and telling everyone else they’re wrong wasn’t exactly what Christ had in mind when He instituted the church. iPhones and iPads seem to have morphed into iChurch in a sense. American culture has turned Christ’s church into a business that caters to our comforts aesthetically, relationally, and politically. It’s made us consumers, critics, and reviewers of the Church rather than servants of THE Kingdom. It’s not wrong to have preferences and to like some things better than others. Music, décor, and speaking style are all over the spectrum at different churches, but he argues that the point of picking a church and serving in it should be less about does it meet my needs and more about whether I’m showing up and using this place along with this group to glorify God. He annoyed me in parts because he steps on my toes but maybe we need that a little more often. If you’re disenfranchised with the status quo and you feel like it’d be good to be challenged about church then go grab “Uncomfortable” by Brett McCrackin.

Look for Beautiful Things

By Daniel Crosby • April 28, 2025
Look for beautiful things when you're restless, uncomfortable, or on edge. There's something about acknowledging the good around us that helps us reset and realize that it's not all bad. If you're struggling to see beautiful things in the world, come see me and we can talk more about it. www.danielcrosbycounseling.com

"The Needs of the Heart" Book Review

By Daniel Crosby • April 24, 2025
“The Needs of the Heart” by Chip Dodd is a book that will blow your mind. When I picked it up, it’s a very small thin book. Less than 100 pages. I assumed I’d breeze through it in a couple of hours. About a month later I finished digesting it. The truth is we cannot fully live the life God has called us to unless we acknowledge that we do have needs, that these needs are good, and discover the healthy ways of meeting these needs. Chip takes common human needs like Security and Accomplishment and he unpacks what they really are pointing us to in his typical concise but brilliant depth. There’s no fluff here. With chapters just 3-4 pages each, you’re going to want to have a highlighter ready to underline, to ponder these topics, and maybe then to discuss them with someone you know and trust. You’ll come away from this book with a deeper sense what is already fulfilled within you and ones that might be lacking where you need to go do a deep dive with a lot of prayer and introspection. If you liked Chip’s book “The Voice of the Heart,” this is one is your next read. Go grab “The Needs of the Heart” by Chip Dodd.