The Dr Pepper’s Approach to Life

The one thing I could do far less of is worry. For those who don’t know, the title is a nod to the tagline for the American soft drink. The adverts follow a series of catastrophic events that ensue after someone decides to drink Dr Pepper’s. The adverts end with ‘Dr Pepper’s, what’s the worst that could happen?’ after the final disaster. Well, if you want to know what is the worst that could happen, ask me! I will have already gone through all the possibilities of a particular course of action, concentrating on what could go wrong. Some of my trains of thought go completely off the rails and I imagine incredibly outlandish results of a particular choice! The problem is that I am usually fixed into the course and I can’t change it, so all that worrying does is to freak me out.

So, what am I doing to try to reduce this tendency. I have mentioned it before, but the Calm app really does help in gradually resetting my brain. Over the year or so I have been using it, my catastrophising has reduced in frequency and severity. It’s still there but it’s not anything like as bad. I am able to live in the present more and I am able to trust in the future slightly more. What can I say, it’s still a work in progress! Along with that I have realised that despite not being the most positive person, plenty of positive things have happened to me. My wife, Janet, tends to make sure that even the most far reaching changes are fully thought through and very little is left to chance. I think that on many occasions, she is more than a match for the universe! I am being flippant because I don’t believe in pre-ordained paths or the idea of fate stepping in. This is a random universe where you have little control over anything and you have no guiding force. Everything is chance, not planned, at the macro level so all you can do is plan it as effectively as possible at a micro level.

So there you have it. I will try to worry less as I look forward to a 2026 that could pretty much bring anything my way.