Member-only story
What I Do When Challenging Experiences Keep Popping Up
How to take charge before you feel out of control
Refuse to let the actions of others drive you wacky
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed — like your next stressful episode might cause a meltdown, anxiety attack, or worse? You vow to do all you can to prevent it. But you make no guarantees, especially when it comes to the one challenge that always pops up.
I was there. I didn’t realize how close to the edge I treaded until I opened the car trunk to put bags of groceries in it, and a stranger grabbed my cart. “I’m taking your grocery cart!” he announced.
Is he trying to steal my groceries? Instantly, I decided he wasn’t taking anything. He grabbed the wrong cart from the wrong woman on the wrong day!
So much is out of control these days… I refused to lose control of my groceries.
Like a Karate Master, I planted my feet, slightly bent my knees, and positioned my hands. He didn’t need to know I was faking. With all the fierceness I could muster, I commanded the maskless man to take his filthy fingers off my cart and get away from me.
He seemed surprised. Maybe scared. But he followed directions well.
