Embrace the Cringe

Have you ever had one of those moments in your life you wish you could erase?

Something you did that was so embarrassing that it's almost painful to think about?

Sure, we all have at least one thing we could point to in our past that we wished never happened.

Recently on Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast, our guest, James Ochoa, asked Pete to relive one of his cringiest moments, live, on the show (Bless Pete for the things I put him through sometimes!).

I could tell it was difficult for Pete to have to relive an experience from his past that he would sooner forget altogether. But, through the process that James guided Pete through, Pete was able to start seeing his past experience through a different, less traumatic lens.

Through the power of time and an open mind, Pete was able to see how this painful time in his life has helped shape his life for the better ever since that moment.

Time helps

It can be hard to see the bright side of a situation when you're smack dab in the middle of it. With your emotions on high alert, your fight or flight instinct tends to take over and it's hard to hold on to those more rational thoughts.

But, just like with what happened to Pete, the passage of time, a clearer head, and a different perspective can sometimes change how we feel about those more painful memories. Sometimes we may even find ourselves grateful for an experience because of what it caused to happen later. You may even find there was something to learn.

I would encourage you to give it a try. Spend some time reviewing some of those more cringeworthy moments in your life. Be sure to approach the experience with an open mind, without judgment, and add a healthy dose of curiousity. You just might find that there was a silver lining after all.

Thank you for your time and attention,

Nikki