This afternoon, while drinking hot honey/lemon/pomegranate tea to calm my nerves…
“Thinking too much again, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m having tea.”
“Are you worried about messing up?”
“Yep.”
“I don’t think so. You did well.”
“Dude, I haven’t told you what…”
“Shhh. If you thought you colosally messed up, that’s your anxiety talking. You did well.”
“I… I don’t know…”
“If you messed up, you will know. But there are no real signs of you screwing up.”
“But…”
I had to stop drinking the tea and breathe slowly.
“That’s good. You’re getting better at this. When you feel even the slightest anxious, you take a few deep, slow breaths. That’s good.”
I took a few more slow breaths.
“Also, you can’t drink tea and do your breathing technique. That would be incredible if you could do both.”
I stopped my breathing exercise and quipped, “Are you kidding me?”
“Yes, I am. Humor gives you a reboot. You know that.”
Then I remembered something funny. I mean, someone funny.
“Yes. Now you’re thinking what I’m thinking. Go on. Watch it again.”
I opened my YouTube app, and then I played…
Scott Steiner’s math promo still makes me laugh hysterically. It helped again today. After watching…
“See, Ian. The numbers don’t lie…”
“Oh, no. Stop! My stomach’s hurting already!”
“Come on. You already continued the line in your mind.”
“I…”
“Ha!”
Then our minds synced. We both scream what Steiner screams, “Huh?!”
I feel better now. And he talked to me one more time:
“Seriously, Ian. You did well. And sometimes, you just need a laugh, not fixing.”
Header image courtesy of Manki Kim.
Ian Pasicolan 