Last week I had the joy of participating in one of those “great” perks you get when you join the Forties Club!!! Yep, I had my first mammogram! I barely slept the night before, tossing and turning and reliving all the horror stories I had heard in the past. How will I deal with that pain they have told me about? Will my implants get messed up when they squish them? I was a hot mess. My appointment was not scheduled until 12pm so I tried to keep myself busy with my lil guy and organizing my closet. Let me tell you…I purged the heck out of my closet that day! Time came to shower and prep for my appointment. No deodorant, no body lotion, no perfume, and no powder allowed…thank God it was SUPER breezy outside because with my nerves, my sweat glands were on overdrive. I dropped off my lil guy at my in-laws and off I went down that long road to my final destination! I went into auto-pilot mode once I walked into the office…handed my ID and insurance card over, gave the receptionist the necessary details and sat down to read my book. Well, I read a line and watched HGTV, read another line, and watched HGTV. I continued that sequence until I heard my name. The next thing I remember was walking in the hallway, following a very mellow speaking woman into a room while I held my shirt and bra in a plastic bag and I wore a top that opened to the front. She talked me through the process and I just felt the sweat trickle down my sides…there was no going back now. And so it began…WAIT!!! What?!? This is IT?!? WHAT?!? I lost SLEEP over THIS!!! It was NOTHING!! It didn’t pinch or hurt. She didn’t flatten them like a pancake, my implants never knew what happened! I practically danced my way back to the changing room. As I drove home EXCITED about my experience, I realized that once again I allowed the story in my head to take over and take control of my life. Unfortunately, that anxiety, that fear, that awful, painful, dark story has taken over too many events…when I had my bellybutton pierced, when I had to facilitate a class for the first time to a group of executives, when I had to facilitate my first virtual training, when I found out I was pregnant with my second child, and most recently when I lost my job. BUT guess what? The reality of each of those moments was NOTHING like the story I had in my head. The belly piercing was a breeze, both the classroom and virtual training were a hit, my lil guy is a happy and energetic 3-year-old that keeps us on our toes, and as for my job…TODAY marks 1 month since I was let go and I am here, I am LIVING and moving forward.

Am I the only story-teller? Does anyone else build this entire production in their head before any event that brings with it some kind of uncertainty? I would LOVE to know…how do YOU shut those stories down? Why do we create such a bleak outlook? I can’t do this anymore, not to myself and not to the ones I love because they feel it too. Tomorrow when I wake up, after I thank God for another day filled with opportunities, I am going to create a BEAUTIFUL and successful day in my head. Each day brings its own mystery and opportunities, lets discover them instead of dreading them. Living with that anxiety and fear has made me lose sight of so many blessings I have around me each day. Life is too short for that. Will you join me? Create that inspiring story in your head and then create the actions, behaviors and confidence you need to see that come true.