Try something new

From all kinds of directions it seems I suddenly get many proof of how rewarding it can be to try something new. And how easy it is to chicken out or to bring someone down just because one is over analyzing the risks.

To me it's a security behaviour to imagine everything that can go wrong as if they will go wrong when I'm about to do something new or enter a situation I'm not familiar with or know I usually don't like or handle very well. But most people seem to find that daunting and lose their spirit if I voice my concerns, or they'd pat me on the head and tell me it won't be so bad. They're right of course, mostly everything will be fine, but being aware of the risks one is taking, and imagining one horrible scenario after the other, allowes me to plan strategies for dealing with the situations. And that way I can feel secure with whatever I'm about to do, as long as I have a back up- or exit plan. It's the ever returning question of what's the worst that can happen? And if that happens, can I handle it? Yes? Go for it! No? Stay home!

To me the way of the optimist is the scariest thing in the world. As optimists sometimes feel daunted by my pessimism (or rather realism) I feel like they're the ones taking water over their heads and pretending it's raining. My whole body is screaming don't you see you might drown?! While they just dive in and assume everything will be fine. Or so it seems.

Of course, most of the time they're right too, which is great. And though I rather avoid situations with uncertain outcomes, by now I'm pretty good at calculating risks and compensating for them. If I'm doing something on my own I feel it's strengthening to remind me of everything that might go wrong and telling myself what to do about it if it does. Gives me a sense of control. In a company I'm usually more concervative about voicing my concerns unless asked for them. I still need to work on how to reasure an optimist after I've daunted there spirits - tell them I've got everything in hand if things should turn ugly? I don't like taking that responsability. I usually don't lose much going into these situations knowing what might come (and feeling well able to deal with it if they do), while they lose everything before trying if they even think those extra steps.

To me, being a pessimist, is a win-win state of mind; I can deal with bad things happening before they happen, and I only get nice surprises when things go well!

Not long ago I also learned that sometimes I think a situation is wrong for someone else and want to "protect" this person from it without knowing for sure it will be a problem to them. Sometimes previous experience of similar situations can be misleading and make you prone to predjudice, and sometimes it's you that have a problem with the situation and not the one you're trying to protect. I kick myself for almost making sure someone didn't get to have this positive experience just because I fret about things that's not even a real problem. Next time I'll try to remember that.