What I am not

It's so interesting. As I focus my mind on my breath, and I ask it to stay there, over and over, it wanders off, I bring it back, it wanders, I bring it back. We do this dozens of times every "sit". Then suddenly, my mind wanders to what is bothering me, it wanders to what I am anxious about. The mind wants to check in with where I am at on that subject that has been achingly on my mind lately. I watch my mind go to that subject. I watch the old familiar anxiety arise.

I bring it back to my breath. And suddenly, I notice, once again, that I am not my anxiety. My anxiety is over there, a thought pattern, an emotion, but it is not me. I am over here, watching my breath. And I notice at that moment,