Resilience

Part I.      My Experience

Things go wrong. I'm a worrier so I freak about things. I did this a lot when I was traveling alone, and here's usually how it played out:
There's a moment of panic, of not knowing what to do, of being scared. There are thoughts like: 
"What the fuck am I going to do?" 
"Why is this happening to me?"

In the beginning, I had these thoughts a lot. Whether it was losing something important, a bus leaving the border with my stuff on it, or a landlord canceling my contract giving me days to move out.






Later, I would realize that I can find a new one, that the bus was just going to the other side, and that friends could help with finding a new place to stay.

Each time, my wave of fear seemed to last shorter and shorter. I was quicker to accept the bad situation and figure out what to do next. Something I didn't realize until after repeating this many times, usually in Colombia, was that accepting the situation freed up my mind. Instead of worrying and wasting time, I was thinking and planning.

Part II.      My Advice

I'm not an expert on irrational fears. My parents have a strangle hold on that expertise. But here's some things I tell myself:

Realize it sucks, but its never as bad as you think. It's about being brave, and believing that something is doable.

Many stop themselves by saying, "I can't."

Well, if that's your starting point then you aren't going anywhere. But if you start with "I can" or "ok, this is what I want to do, it might be difficult, but its possible", then the planning and the doing take over, and with some persistence you get it done.

“Danger – if you meet it promptly and without flinching – you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything.”
– Winston Churchill
(I imagine him yelling this after drinking much scotch.)

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