Knowing the worst makes it not so scary

Don’t get me wrong — there are things that still scare the bejeebers out of me.  But this list has really shrunk over the years.  For example, one of my biggest fears is of getting arthritis.  (I am more afraid of arthritis than I am of Aids).  What would happen to my writing if I couldn’t use my hands?  I’d have to type with my nose, pecking like a chicken at the keyboard.  Gives you chills thinking about it, doesn’t it?

But now, after writing countless articles on arthritis, I’m no longer so scared of getting the dreaded prognosis someday.  I’ve now learned how other people cope, about the conventional and alternative medicines for arthritis, about support groups for arthritis sufferers and about products being made just for arthritics.  Knowing the worst case sceanario can be very relaxing.

What Scares You?

Before you can learn about worst case scenrios, you have to admit what frightens you.  This can be one of the hardest steps, because you have to be honest with yourself, but you have to start somewhere.  And don’t think that what frightens you is "silly".  If it scares you, it’s a legitimate fear.  As you shouldn’t compare yourself with others, also don’t compare your fears with others’ fears.

Look It Up

Although I personally haven’t read them, there are a few books entitled "Worst Case Scenario" that goes into how to survive such things as airplane crashes, being bitten by a cobra or having to spend Thanksgiving at your in-laws.  There is also an interesting compilation of worst case scenarios recently published by Reader’s Digest that is worth a peek.  It shows you what the actual odds are for things like dying in a bathtub (9,377 to 1).  In this way, you can see that, well, the odds of dying while taking a bath (or whatever) are really small.

(On a happier note, your odds of writing a NY Times bestseller are a mere 220-1.)

Picture Yourself In That Situation

No, seriously — this is where you become not so scared of your most feared situations (without having to actually go through your worst feared situations).  You get in a quiet, secure place, make sure you have a comfortably full stomach (which gives a great sense of inner security) and think about you becoming stuck in your worst case scenario.  See yourself responding as your research has recommended.  Just think about it as long as you can tolerate it.  The next time you try the exercise, you’ll probably be able to do it a little longer.

And, eventually, you find out that making decisions or taking reasonable risks becomes easier, because you already have a good idea of how to react in a worst case scenario.

Hope this helps.

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