What if this works?

There are always exceptions in this world, but I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has had articular cartilage repair and hasn't spent some time in a dark place. Many of the people who need this type of surgery are athletic and active. And I think that often goes along with being a results-oriented, independent person. Then this "cartilage catastrophe" happens and suddenly your activity level drops to zero and you aren't really in control and you actually need people. And then there's the "what if" demon who undermines your confidence in the most sinister of ways. What if this doesn't work? What if I can't ever do the things I love to do again? And from my personal favorites playlist, what if I've done some little thing to mess this up and all is lost?

True confession. I'm not a glass half-full person by nature. I'm a practical, no-nonsense Midwesterner. If you really want to irritate me, tell me to look on the bright side. Don't give me false hope. I want the straight skinny and the worst case scenario right up front so I can perseverate on how bad things could be. When given an 85% chance of success, I'll focus on the 15% chance of failure. And I have come to despise this quality in myself. Despise it enough to learn another way.

My wise big brother told me recently that when he's facing life's most difficult challenges, he plays a little trick with himself. He flips the "what if" demon on its ass. Instead of focusing on his fears, he asks himself things like, "What if this new business venture is wildly successful?" My inner negative nelly was skeptical, but you know what? There's powerful magic in that approach. I started timidly with, "What if this procedure works?" And without much conscious effort, that morphed into "Hell, this is definitely going to work! Why wouldn't it?" No kidding. I know it's going to work. And I'm going to be back to doing exactly what I love to do. Like every other human being, I've faced my share of challenges. What haven't I overcome? Nothing! When have I been defeated? Never! Think about it. You're here to tell the tale, aren't you?

My guy has long told me that there are inevitably stormy seas in life where you have to choose the life raft or the anchor. He is, as usual, absolutely right. What do you really have to lose by choosing the life raft? Now don't get me wrong...those stormy seas do a great job of disguising the life raft. But it's there. Waiting to deliver you to shore.