Relax and Take Control

I never answer the phone when the caller ID shows a number I don't recognize.  Partly because I don't want to be surprised by some collection agency from some bill that I forgot to pay 6 years ago and sent into a panic.  But mostly because I like to know what the phonecall is about so I can have time to get my mind right and be in the right space to deal with the caller. 

Yesterday a call came through from a job that I  interviewed for.  I recognized the number immediately, but I still didn't answer the phone.  As it rang, I thought they are either calling me for a second-round interview or to tell me that they have decided to go with another candidate.  Either way, I could already feel my level of anxiety rising.  At that moment, I decided to just relax and take control.  I took control of my emotions, steeled my nerves, and braced myself for the voicemail.  It was a good news!  A second-round interview. 

I freely admit that mind can run a hundred worse case scenarios in 30 seconds.  Its a talent (or a curse) of mine.  However, its not very productive to become all anxious and worried at the thought of a potentially bad situation.  I'm chosing therefore to be hopeful from this point on.  I'm going to try to take control of my worst-case scenario mentality.   I could be walking into that interview thinking and praying for the best and still not get the job (that's a worst-case scenario, isn't it?).   But I will remember that it is not me that is being rejected.  The job wasn't for me and God just chose to move me out of the running.  If I got the job and the job wasn't for me, would I have the strength to walk away?  Probably not.

So from this point on, I will try to focus on the best-case scenario.  Best-case scenario is that I will walk into that interview and knock their socks off!