Negative Ear Worms

Mar 4, 2018

Stop obsessing. Ever notice how one little annoyance, situation or child can grab your attention and hold it against your will? It seems as though the more you try to ignore it, the more it pops back into your brain. And sadly, we often get fixated on things we can’t control.

The thought wormed its way into my brain on the trip to Canada. Although the Greater Edmonton Teachers’ Conference was huge, I wondered if I would have session participants. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll present to any number, but I feel badly for organizers when I’ve been contracted, given a large room, and numbers are low. My obsession grew stronger when I spoke with another presenter the night before who let me know he had been on Oprah and was used to large crowds, but only had a few people attend his sessions. This did not encourage me. How does one compete with Oprah?

My worrying was for naught. Attendance was great, as apparently, the sessions chosen met the needs. [Having never presented there, I was a complete unknown.] Of course, no sooner did this issue get resolved than I started focusing on the next potential obstacle – getting home. Did I mention a snowstorm was blowing in? I won’t recount all details, but that evening I looked out the window hourly for weather updates. Again, no problem. Snow delayed and I made it home with no issues.

People, spring fever is hitting. Hard. So, distract from the obsessive negatives by focusing on the positives. Be it family, friends, pets or an upcoming spring break, we all have a lot to choose from; we just have to be purposeful about doing so. The positive aspect of my trip? Canadians. But that will most definitely be the subject of my next blog. Have a happy Sunday.

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