For Karim Ghelani, anxiety is not a life sentence. It is a signal, an untapped force that can be transformed into focus, empathy, and personal growth. A certified coach with an extensive background in business development, entertainment production, and content acquisition, Ghelani has built a career that bridges creativity and commerce. His approach to anxiety is both deeply personal and universally practical, blending metaphysical insights with proven scientific techniques.
“Redefining it, in my opinion, is essentially transmuting it into a different emotion,” he says. “If you are an anxious person, you can actually perform a lot higher. Based on several studies, you can use both metaphysical and practical techniques to cope without the need for medication although if you do need it, that is perfectly fine.”
Turning Anxiety into a Superpower
Ghelani’s relationship with anxiety began at age six, shortly after immigrating from Pakistan to Los Angeles. Panic attacks and a constant sense of unease shaped much of his early life. Yet over time, he discovered that these same sensations could be redirected into precision, creativity, and resilience. For him, the turning point came when he began to integrate practices such as yoga, breathwork, meditation, and sound therapy into his daily routine. “Meditation was the most important thing for me,” he says. “Accepting anxiety as a normal part of my life, and then transmuting it into something positive, changed everything. It has helped me build businesses, be more meticulous in my day to day activities, and become more empathetic and sympathetic to others.” He describes anxiety as a form of heightened awareness. It is a mental and physical energy that, when guided, can sharpen decision-making and deepen interpersonal connection.
The Practices That Shifted His Perspective
One of the most significant changes Ghelani made was becoming sober. “The biggest change for me was stopping alcohol and substance use,” he says. “It was a huge shift in how I saw the world.” This change brought clarity, discipline, and a heightened ability to regulate his mental state without artificial numbing. Daily affirmations also became a cornerstone of his routine. Though often dismissed as cliché, Ghelani insists they are powerful when practiced with sincerity. “If you say to yourself, ‘I am worthy of love, I am worthy of happiness, I am doing a good job,’ your subconscious mind picks it up. From a psychological perspective, it is proven to work.”
His toolkit extends beyond the mind to the body and environment. Practices like shinrin yoku (forest bathing), deep breathing techniques, and listening to specific sound frequencies such as the 528Hz “love” frequency are all part of his holistic approach. “It is things we think we already know but why are we not doing them?” he asks.
Service, Compassion, and the Ripple Effect
For Ghelani, the path to reducing anxiety also runs through acts of service. He views kindness not as a random act but as a lifestyle. “Even holding a door for someone has an effect,” he says. “Service does not have to be about money. It could be your time, your energy, or something as simple as a genuine thank you.” He believes such gestures create a ripple effect. A sincere interaction with a cashier, for example, may lift their mood, which in turn influences every customer they encounter that day. “How many lives did you just change by telling that cashier thank you?” he asks. On a larger scale, Ghelani challenges the idea of “us versus them.” “We do not understand that us and them are the same person,” he says. “Once we realize that, we have more sympathy and empathy in our lives.”
Navigating Fate, Faith, and Free Will
The philosophy behind Ghelani’s work is captured in the title of his book, Faith, Faith and Free Will. “Fate is the riverbed. Faith is the water itself. Free will is how you plan to navigate that river,” he explains. This blend of personal responsibility and adaptability echoes the wisdom of Taoism and martial arts. He recalls Bruce Lee’s famous advice to “be like water” formless, responsive, and able to adapt to any situation.
Ghelani also emphasizes the importance of one’s inner circle. “You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. I say it like this you pick up a friend, you pick up your destiny. Surround yourself with people who genuinely wish you well, and do the same for them.” For those navigating anxiety, his message is clear. Transformation is possible. By combining discipline with compassion, and self-awareness with service, anxiety can be redefined from a limitation into a source of clarity and strength.Readers can connect with Karim Ghelani on LinkedIn to learn more about his approach to managing anxiety.
