Don't get me wrong, my brain started it's normal belittling mental chatter, but then I remembered my "assignment" to fail. I thought to myself, "Self, is this a failure? Is this my chance to put this assignment to use?"
While burning a bagel may not seem like a failure to most, it does often feel like one to me. So, I decided to go with it. I stopped and thought to myself, "Self, you burnt your bagel. Wow! What a big deal! Yes, you could have popped it out sooner. Of course, that may have been a little difficult seeing as you were across the house doing something else at the same time. It's just a bagel. It's not the end of the world. It may be a little extra crispy, but oh well. We'll hide it under a little low-fat cream cheese. Let's move on and enjoy the rest of the day."
It took me a little while to process it all and really come to terms with it, but halfway through crunching on my extra crispy bagel, I really started believing that my burnt bagel was no big deal. Go figure! Now I can't wait until my next failure! : )
Excellent post :) Reading it has made me smile knowing that you have found success and positivity in what you would've previously told yourself was bad.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your failure!
Also, one person's (perceived) failure is another person's success as to me that bagel looks yummy. Everybody's has a different idea of how things should be 'perfect' and it is impossible to satisfy all opinions so, sometimes, it is just best to try to let these things go. And you have! :)
LOL....That's not a picture of the actual bagel. Mine was actually smoking a bit. Also, I thank you for your congratulations on my failure, and yes, not everything is black and white. There are shades of gray. I'm trying to allow myself to see that. : )
ReplyDeleteYay! Good for you! These baby steps are so important in that we build our confidence!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this post. I agree with OCD anonymous--everybody's got a different idea about perfect. You did great with the burnt bagel--and a little cream cheese can make any bagel tasty! :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great lesson - I really like the idea of an assignment to 'fail.' I think it makes it clear how hard it is to really fail. We are so hard on ourselves.
ReplyDeleteA little holiday greeting - I enjoy your posts here on your blog. Thanks for coming by mine and leaving thoughts now and then. I hope you have a good holiday, and keep on blogging in the new year. Here's to everyone's continued healing from anxiety and all the rest.
Adventures in Anxiety Land