19. Just Two Options

If you’re a worrier, it’s easy to think there are a million ways a decision can go. But really…there’s only two ways.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

{Theme music in}

Today’s episode is for the worriers.

It’s for everyone who is standing at the intersection of uncertainty and anxiety.

For anyone who has spent hours of their one precious life wandering through a maze of potentialities.

For anyone who is, at this very moment, walking through a bunch of events that haven’t even happened yet, who is having imaginary conversations and arguments…

{phone ringing and picking up}

JJ: Hi, this is JJ from Columbia Heights, Minnesota. And the thing that makes me feel better is I realized that there’s only two options. Think things could get better or things could get worse. And I don’t need to go through all the crazy options that could possibly happen. There’s really only two.

There’s just TWO?!?! There’s just two.

I have spent a good portion of my limited time on this earth going through the many, many things that could possibly happen, and never in my life have I heard something as simple and as beautiful as this: they could get worse, or they could get better. 

There’s really only two options. 

When I think about it that way – and I have since getting this voicemail from JJ – it really shuts up the loudest part of my brain. The part that wants me to explore in great detail every possible scenario. It doesn’t matter! It could get better or it could get worse. There’s just those two options. 

I’m Nora McInerny – and thanks to JJ – today it IS going to be okay. 

We want to hear from you, too. You can email us a voice memo or write out an email – the email is in our show notes – or you can call us at 612.568.4441. We are an independent production from feelings &co, an independent podcast company. Our team is Marcel Malekebu, Jordan Turgeon, Claire McInerny, Megan Palmer, Eugene Kidd and Larissa Witcher. Our theme music is by Secret Audio.