How are you all m’dears?
I have been reading a lot and it was time to return all my books to my friendly neighborhood library. [My local library is part of a larger network of libraries, so, you can borrow from one location on the network, and return at another, as long as that library also belongs to the network]. In my excitement to return the books before their due date, I returned the books at an out-of-network location.
Hmm… this happened on a Saturday. I realized my mistake on Sunday when the library was closed. Anyhow, I made a plan to visit the out-of-network library on Monday, explain the situation to them and get the books from their return bin. Easy Peasy right?
On Monday morning, my anxiety took over. What if the librarian would not co-operate? What if the library was closed indefinitely? What if I got lost and never found the library (yes, I know my imagination can run wild).
The Universe suggested an alternate path. Instead of doom and gloom stories, I started making up adventure stories. I told myself that after 2 years of not traveling, this would be my first adventure. It would be so exciting to take a road trip to this new library location. Once there, I could use my negotiation skills with the librarian in case she refused to check the bins. What use is reading a book on negotiation if I cannot put it to good use? I also started thinking about wearing a nice shade of blue because it is a calming color. A bit of hairdo and slight makeup would be perfect.
So, you see, I changed my anxiety to adventure and actually started looking forward to my trip.
Needless to say, it all ended well.
Here are some sample conversions:
Your Student – My teacher stresses me out by giving me these really tough assignments.
You – Maybe your teacher is testing your mettle so he/she can pick you as their intern.
Your spouse – You argue so much with me.
You – Honey, I am making you better at thinking on your feet ;-). It is a life skill and I am giving it to you for free!
You – I am wasting my time binge-watching.
You – Self-care is so important. Happy me is happy all of us.
I live to learn 