The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the

The modern sage Wayne Dyer, teacher of inner freedom and the boundless mind, spoke a truth as old as the mountains when he declared: “The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world; it's your thoughts that create these false beliefs. You can't package stress, touch it, or see it. There are only people engaged in stressful thinking.” In these words lies a wisdom both gentle and radical—that what we call stress is not a thing of the world, but a shadow cast by the restless mind.

Consider his teaching. Stress does not exist in the trees, in the rivers, in the stones of the earth. You cannot hold it in your hand, nor point to it as you would a mountain or a flame. It is not a reality, but an illusion, a mirage born of thoughts that tremble and race. What men call anxiety is not the roar of the world, but the echo of their own minds, believing they are weak before life. And when the mind believes a shadow is real, the heart suffers as though a monster were present. Thus Dyer unmasks the phantom: there is no monster, only the thought of one.

History gives us examples of those who saw this truth clearly. Think of Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher who lived as a slave. Chains bound his body, and cruelty surrounded his days, yet he declared: “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.” Here is the same wisdom Dyer proclaims: suffering is born not of circumstance, but of thought. Epictetus’ master could wound his leg, but only his own mind could create anxiety. By mastering thought, he walked free even in bondage.

And consider the warriors of history, who entered battle with calm hearts. The samurai of Japan trained not only in the art of the sword, but in the stillness of the mind. For they knew that if their thoughts raced with fear, they would already be defeated before the first strike. By learning to still the stream of thought, they walked into death itself without stress. Thus, Dyer’s teaching is not new, but the timeless discipline of all who have sought freedom: mastery of thought is mastery of life.

What, then, does this mean for us? It means that when you say, “I am stressed,” you are naming not the world, but your thinking. The world brings events: tasks, trials, surprises, endings. But whether these become torment or peace depends upon the story your mind tells. You may choose to call them burdens, or you may call them challenges. You may tell yourself you are drowning, or you may tell yourself you are learning to swim. The truth, Dyer reminds us, is that only the story exists. The event is real; the stress is not.

The lesson, children of the future, is luminous: do not fight shadows. Instead, master your thoughts, for they are the painters of your experience. If they paint fear, your world becomes a prison; if they paint courage, your world becomes a path. No man or woman is free until they see that their suffering is self-created, and no man or woman is wise until they learn to choose thoughts that lead to freedom.

Practical action must follow. Each day, when you feel anxiety rising, pause and ask: Where is it? Can I touch it? Can I see it? You will find nothing. Then ask: What thought am I believing right now that creates this fear? Replace it with a thought aligned with courage, gratitude, or possibility. Practice meditation, silence, and deep breathing, for these train the mind to see thoughts as passing clouds, not as the sky itself. In time, you will find that stress fades, for it was never real—it was only thinking.

Thus, remember Dyer’s teaching: stress is not of the world, but of the mind. The river flows, the wind blows, the seasons change without worry. Only man, through restless thought, invents torment. But the moment he sees this truth, the chains fall, the shadow vanishes, and he stands free, as he was always meant to be.