I'm all FOR it!

Unique Perspectives: I'm all FOR it!

By Kim Stevens

Living FOR vs. Living AGAINST

I’ve been thinking lately about why so many of us feel tired or tense… even when things are going just fine.

I think it often comes down to this: we’re living AGAINST something instead of FOR something.

Most of us don’t realize how much energy we spend worrying about what we don’t want to happen. We worry about failing. About disappointing people. About things falling apart. About losing momentum, security, or control. We replay scenarios in our minds, trying to prevent outcomes we fear.

That way of living can seem to make sense. After all, we’re wired to avoid danger. But when worry becomes our main organizing force, life turns into a constant state of resistance.

From a scientific standpoint, that kind of worry keeps the nervous system on high alert. The body stays braced. Stress hormones stay elevated. Even good progress can feel heavy.

From a spiritual standpoint, what we focus on grows. When our attention is locked onto what we’re trying to avoid, it quietly becomes the center of our lives and it’s hard to see beyond it.

Living AGAINST something can feel like it’s motivating us. But it also keeps us tense and anxious. And that is not sustainable.

Living FOR something feels very, very different. Living for something means choosing a direction instead of fighting a fear. It means orienting your life around what matters to you—peace, growth, contribution, freedom, integrity—rather than around what you’re trying to outrun.

When I live FOR something, I can feel my energy change. Decisions feel clearer. I’m less reactive. I stop scanning for what might go wrong and start asking what feels aligned. Which doesn’t mean I stop caring or planning. It means I’ve stopped letting worry run the show.

One of the simplest and most powerful questions we can ask ourselves is:

Am I spending more time trying to prevent what I don’t want… or intentionally building what I do? What we are against keeps us on defense. What we are for gives us direction. This is an extremely powerful shift and change in perspective.

And there’s a quiet relief that comes when we make that shift. We stop living braced for impact and start living on purpose.

If you’ve been feeling stretched, pressured, or preoccupied with worst‑case scenarios, it might not be that you need to try harder. You may just need to choose what you’re living for.

And I am all FOR that!