What if ...

GuyverGordonGuyverGordon
in General

I just got back from something I was dreading all week. It was some sort of event that centered around the green egg grill. A couple I knew asked if I was interested in grilling; I gave them a polite "I don't know". Somewhere in the conversation I got some tickets to this thing. I don't grill; I don't plan on grilling. It is just not my thing.

So I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was almost able to talk myself out of it. But I had tickets that someone else paid for; I was obligated to go. My last thought was "What if it isn't so bad?"

Not only was in not bad, it actually turned out to be a really fun time. And if I didn't go, I would have missed out. I wouldn't have been aware of it; it wouldn't have hurt me as far as I could perceived.

I'm certain I'm not the only one that gets anxious. In fact, as bad I can get, I'm probably not the most anxious. Would you allow me to encourage you with this: What if then next big thing isn't as bad as you think? What if you walk through it and came out better on the other side?

(Just something I wanted share)

Comments

  • 4cuddles4cuddles

    This is lovely to read. So what exactly was the green egg grilling? Im usually motivated if events are food related!

  • achetocuddleachetocuddle

    Ditto. Does green egg grilling follow a formula just to make it interesting?

  • [Deleted User]gem7 (deleted user)

    That is an interesting and expensive grill. I have wondered if it is any better than other top grills.
    Also, I along with many others deal with anxiety daily. I accept your encouragement and pass it back to you also.

  • TxTomTxTom

    Whatif by Shel Silverstein

    Last night, while I lay thinking here,
    some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
    and pranced and partied all night long
    and sang their same old Whatif song:
    Whatif I'm dumb in school?
    Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
    Whatif I get beat up?
    Whatif there's poison in my cup?
    Whatif I start to cry?
    Whatif I get sick and die?
    Whatif I flunk that test?
    Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
    Whatif nobody likes me?
    Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
    Whatif I don't grow talle?
    Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
    Whatif the fish won't bite?
    Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
    Whatif they start a war?
    Whatif my parents get divorced?
    Whatif the bus is late?
    Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
    Whatif I tear my pants?
    Whatif I never learn to dance?
    Everything seems well, and then
    the nighttime Whatifs strike again!

  • GuyverGordonGuyverGordon

    @TxTom ... and what if you turned on the light and saw the figures were just shadows playing tricks? 👤

  • SunsetSnugglesSunsetSnuggles

    I frequently have dread leading up to agreed-upon social situations...anything from a family gathering to a doctor's appointment. Often I actively want to be there, sometimes not. Either way, the dread doesn't care. It could strangle me for an hour, or the two days leading up to it.

    That said...once I'm there, I'm almost always okay. Trembling, shaking, panic attacks notwithstanding...once I get to the thing, I'm usually just fine, and very, very glad that I didn't cancel, pushed through my anxiety, and went.

    ~ Sunset Snuggles

    🫂 Enthusiast 🌄 Travel Junkie 📸 Shutter Bug

  • CuddleHugs01234CuddleHugs01234

    @TxTom I like that poem. Thanks for sharing. My grandmother always had one of his books out. And my mom had one in her car that I found. I kept that one. About the poem above, does anxiety usually get worse at night? I have a loved one that it seems to be true with, but I wonder about others. Anyone feel free to answer that, not just Tom. :)

  • TxTomTxTom

    @CuddleHugs01234

    ~ Calvin and Hobbes

  • SunsetSnugglesSunsetSnuggles

    @CuddleHugs01234 posted: "does anxiety usually get worse at night?"

    It would depend on what's causing the anxiety.

    People with PTSD-induced nightmares, or night terrors, can certainly have elevated anxiety upon trying to sleep...insomnia can also result. 😵‍💫

    People who dread work can have "Sunday blues" all day, sometimes all weekend. It's a very light term for a condition that can range from feeling down, to debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal ideation, etc.

    Generally speaking, I think anxiety is likely to go up at night for the simple reason that we are finally free of distraction, and our mind has time to wander to what bothers, worries, stresses, or depresses us.

    In other words, the time of day isn't the real trigger...the clear mind is. Take someone's cell phone or TV away while they sit in a waiting room or come home to an empty house after dinner, and the anxiety will likely rear its head due to the quiet.

    Distraction is a powerful thing...it can be a very useful short-term coping mechanism, but we also need to deal with our thoughts, sit with ourselves, face our demons, and work through our issues, or eventually, everything the noise suppresses will explode.

    ~ Sunset Snuggles

    🫂 Enthusiast 🌄 Travel Junkie 📸 Shutter Bug

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