Stop Hitting the Panic Button: You're the Hero in the Movie of Your Life

Do you ever go down panic rabbit holes? Maybe your boss asks you to meet and you think, “They’re not happy with my work. I’m getting fired. I’ll never find another job. I’ll lose everything…” or maybe your boyfriend pulls away a little bit and you think, “It’s over. He’s leaving me. I’ll be lonely and single until the day I die. Better get some cats.” I get it. I do this sometimes, too. I sense the smallest hint of something not going perfectly as planned and my mind tries to go down this dark, ominous rabbit hole and armor me up. It’s so incredibly exhausting.

If you also do this, just know that it’s normal. It’s most common to do this with one or two things in your life - work, money, love, conflict, health, etc. We often have one or two areas of our life that have panic triggers and we grab onto the smallest hint of worry or uncertainty and hit the panic button. I’ve spent the past year really digging into one of my panic triggers and am so proud of the progress I’ve made. I want to share my new approach and mindset with you in case this hits home.

I’ve started looking at my life like a book I’ve already read, a movie I’ve already seen, a sports game that I’ve already watched (just go with it, y’all know I don’t watch sports). When the main character is in trouble (hurt, lost, sad, losing the game), I don’t panic because I know how the story ends. I know they win in the end. I know they score a game-winning play, they foil the villain, they meet their Prince Charming. They find their happily ever after.

You’re the main character in story of your life. Spoiler alert: you win. How boring would the book, movie or game be if there weren’t any ups and downs? I’d put that book down. I’d stop watching that movie. Wouldn’t you? You can spend your life marinating in the panic of little (and big) losses, or you can remember that it’s a story and a journey and in the end, the main character wins. You win. this isn’t an overnight shift. It’s like a muscle you build over time, little by little, with repeated use and practice.

“You’re the main character in story of your life. Spoiler alert: you win.”

Next time you feel that panic trigger hit a nerve, take a deep breath and imagine yourself watching the movie of your life and give yourself the gift of peace and perspective. You win in the end. You’re the hero of your real life move. You’re the guy who gets the girl. You’re the team that…why do I keep trying to do sports analogies?? You get it.

I’m not downplaying the lows in life. They’re real and they hurt. But know they’re a moment in your life and not your entire life. You win.

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