I was going CRAZY waiting with my daughter at the doctor’s office…or so I thought. I was getting claustrophobic while we were trapped in a teeny-tiny room…or so I thought. The doctor was taking FOREVER—once again, my thought.
What were the FACTS of this situation?
The answer is simple and much less dramatic—We were waiting together in this room for 1 hour to see the doctor.
What was I creating for myself by thinking these thoughts?
Impatience, irritation, frustration, and mounting anxiety.
Could I have had a completely different experience?
Absolutely.
Once I began to catch myself, I allowed these emotions to “be.” I sat with them, examined them, decided to breathe, and accepted the facts.
I questioned my thoughts and decided they weren’t helping. I asked myself what I wanted to THINK about this situation instead. I explored other options like “Can I enjoy this time with my daughter?”
I decided to focus on that and also think “I’m grateful to have a doctor’s help available to us.”
It didn’t change the time we waited, and it didn’t get us out of this room any sooner, but what it did do is remind me that I am in charge of my thinking—and my thoughts ALWAYS create my feelings.
What I was creating for myself was unnecessary and unhelpful.
We may not be able to change our circumstance, but we can change the way we think and feel about it—if that’s what we desire and choose to do.
