“Lizzy Borden took an axe and gave her father forty whacks . . .”
Remember sitting around your dark bedroom with a flashlight under your chin telling scary stories? Or standing in front of a mirror repeating Candy Man . . . Candy Man . . . Candy Man . . . waiting to see if he appeared behind you?
We still tell ourselves scary stories every day. They’ve just grown up a little.
Perhaps we look at someone in a meeting who is disagreeing with us on a vital point, and suddenly he morphs into a harbinger of something dark.
- He never did like me.
- He is definitely going to undercut this initiative.
Or, right before an important presentation we begin to doubt ourselves.
- They’re going to realize I’m an imposter.
- I am going to stumble over that woman’s name and she’ll never forgive me.
Tell a Better Story
Your body reacts to the stories you tell it. Listen to those scary stories, and you will be exhausted at the end of each day. Plus, you’ll burn out your flashlight batteries.
Instead, try this:
- Pay attention to the stories your brain is telling you. Remember that the brain’s job is to help you survive, so it could spin a scary mental web that is exaggerated or unnecessary.
- When a scary story begins, ask yourself: Do I absolutely know this to be true?
- If you don’t absolutely know it to be true, then let the story slide on by.
You might not be able to stop the brain from warning you about situations, but you can determine if you will put any energy into the warning.
My experience says – turn off the flashlight, turn on the lights, and tell better stories.
P.S. I tried a different version of “Candy Man” the other day. Since I am on a protein diet, I stood in front of the mirror and repeated “Candy Corn” three times. It didn’t appear either.