Sunday, February 9, 2014

A Lesson In Overthinking

I am a self-professed worrier. An over-thinker of the highest order.


It's a totally futile past-time. It's never made me feel better. It's never stopped bad things from happening - because the bad things that have happened were never anything I'd ever imagined. And in reality, the things I've worried about have never actually materialised. Probably because I'm not omnipotent or omniscient.

Just this last week I was given a big lesson in why worrying is so pointless. By one of my sons.

He's been in the same job for a few years now and about 10 days ago the company went through a restructure. A few people lost their jobs. My son didn't but he was called in to a meeting with the powers that be and was told that they were moving him to another area of the business.

He did exactly what I would have done. He assumed that the change was because they weren't happy with his performance in his other job. He decided that the move was a demotion and it threw him into a bit of a tailspin.

By Friday he was so upset about it that he didn't want to go into work but rather than stay at home and stress even more about it he did something that I would have found extremely hard to do. He made an appointment with Human Resources to talk about the change.

It's hard to ask about the why's of decisions when you  think you know what the answer is - and it's not a compliment. But he did. And he found out that the reason that he'd been moved was because he was doing a good job. They effectively had created this job for him.

I'm so incredibly proud of him for having the courage to confront his fears head on and put himself on the line. It's definitely a lesson that I have to remember to apply to myself in the future.

*****

I, decided after my last post, to embrace my girlish running style. I might as well own it - cause at my age I have very little inclination to change it. I couldn't find a tiara so I went with the next best thing.

14 comments:

  1. I can relate to this, I'm t he worrier in our family ... plus I think I have to control everything. So in every situation, I think of every possible scenario, and the way that I'll combat that fictitious matter ... but rarely does it come to fruition. It's exhausting.

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  2. That is a tough thing to do. I think (maybe) I could do it now but I absolutely could not have at your son's age. Good for him!

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  3. Worrying works, 99.9% of the things I worry about never happen!!!!

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  4. good on your boy Char. Way more mature than I will ever be!

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  5. Wow, yeah - good for him! I too am an anxiety queen and I can totally understand where his thoughts were taking him - the same place mine have taken me many a sleepless night, to Worst Possible Scenario land... Good he had the guts to just go and ask!

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  6. He needed to make that choice! Your son is really great!

    Sorry to hear that a few people lost their job there in Australia ... in Europe's peripheral countries youth unemployment is running above 50 per cent. EU is dealing with the sevest test in its history.

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  7. Good for him! You should be very proud.

    Wow--you are over-the-top girlie, there!

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  8. Good on your son! Hope the change goes well for him.

    I think you should run your next trail race in a tutu. It's a good look for you.

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  9. Kudos to your son! I'm thinking you need to rotate in a Running Skirt. I know they have them down under. They tried making me the administrator of their FB page. Haha! Wouldn't that be a mess? Rock that tiara girl!

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  10. I love that your son acted on the worry instead of just stressing about it - I need to let that be a lesson!!
    And - LOVE the additions to the picture - perfect!!!

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  11. I would have done the same as your son: assuming the worst. Good for him that he asked for the appointment. I do think however they could have told him this immediately.

    Due to the economic crisis people have lost their job in my company too. At the moment it's going on too: people have to apply for new jobs while their own job won't exist anymore soon. A couple of months ago people were fired too and I was very worried then too and after thinking about it too much for a couple of days I just asked my manager if I should be worried. He said I didn't and it made me think I just should have asked it immediately.

    The games we play with our mind right?

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  12. I am blessed with a "stay calm and don't worry" personality. I say blessed because I see how often people worry or over think themselves sick.

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  13. Good for your son, and good for you embracing your inner Disney Princess.

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  14. So lucky that he asked the question. I went through something similar, for similar reasons. The anxiety was killing me for a week or 2 before I had the courage to ask. Glad it's all worked out well in the end!

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