I went through something very similar myself. I turned 50 last year and found that I was waking up every morning full of anxiety and fear. I began exploring spirituality and in the past 6 months have made great progress in achieving peace of mind.
I have started practicing meditation, 15 minutes every morning. I ordered CD’s from Amazon, Pema Chodron “How to Meditate”. I also ordered some of her other CD’s (Getting Unstuck) and listen to them as I fall asleep at night.
Other CD’s that have helped are Byron Katie, “Loving What Is”. Her basic message is, instead of striving to achieve what you think will make you happy, just be happy with what is.
One of the biggest changes in my thinking that has brought me peace of mind is the realization that it is not my job to ensure that others are happy. Nor is it my job to impart my “wisdom” to others on how to live their lives (yes, I do see the irony considering that I am now trying to impart my so-called wisdom to you). I cannot over emphasize what a feeling of relief it was to no longer feel that it was my responsibility to “fix” everyone else.
Just relax and realize that life is really quite simple. All you have to do is show up. You do not need to impress anyone (even yourself). If you are breathing you are living, it doesn’t get any more simple than that.
