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AN “ASK YOURSELF EMPOWERING QUESTIONS” WRITER’S CHALLENGE RESPONSE
Why Would Anyone Refuse to Give Up Their Worst Flaw?
Prompt #3: What is your worst flaw and why are you keeping it?
Why would anyone refuse to give up a flaw?
Prompt #3 of the Ask Yourself Empowering Questions is, “What is your worst flaw, and why are you keeping it?” I hardly thought about this before I knew my answer to the question.
There may not be a single word for my worst flaw — it is caution all wrapped up in fear, anxiety, guilt, and hesitation. Probably the best description of my worst flaw is that I worry too much. Yet, despite this flaw, I have lived a life filled with joy and adventure.
I worry about everything. All the time. Fearful thoughts run like background music through my mind, with sentences beginning with “What if…”, “Just-in-case…” and “Be careful…” as a repeating chorus. Fortunately, most of the time I can tamp down these concerns, and they simply hover in the background of my daily life without getting too much in the way. These thoughts don’t even make me feel particularly anxious most of the time, but they are always present.
Happily, I’ve learned (mostly) to separate reasonable fear from undue caution. Otherwise, my life would not have been near as fulfilling or as much fun as it has been. I drive my family crazy by verbalizing my fears, but they have learned to brush them off. Sometimes, I suspect my husband has gotten off easy in the parenting department; I worry enough that he doesn’t have to! Our now-grown kids and I have an agreement — if they are planning a thrilling escapade, it is better they just do so, and then tell me about it afterward! I know they will exercise good judgment, and this way I don’t spend my days envisioning every worst-case scenario.
As much as I would love to be more carefree, I still would never want to lose my knee-jerk pre-set mode of caution. I believe it has often kept me from harm and from making many mistakes. As a nurse, a mother, and a pet owner, it made me vigilant against errors. I suspect I am a better driver for it, and I know I have kept my family all healthier and safer because of it.
