Yesterday my seven-year-old granddaughter lost one of her top two front teeth. To be 100% correct, my husband pulled out her very loose tooth. It was actually rather comical watching her throughout the day. She kept wiggling that tooth until it was literally hanging by a thread. However, she was afraid to pull it out because she thought it would  hurt too much. Of course, when her Papa actually pulled it out, it didn’t really hurt at all.

That took me way back to the days when I thought pulling a loose tooth would really hurt. Now, many years later, after two c-sections and multiple injuries, I realize that the pain of pulling a loose tooth is nothing in the grand scheme of pain. However, it took me years and a lot more pain to understand that.

I think that most areas of life are this way. When you’re young or new to some experience, it is so easy to feel afraid of the pain or the unknowns that you’re facing. Once you go through the experience you usually wonder what you were so afraid of.

I guess that’s one of the benefits of growing older and enjoying more of life’s experiences. After a while, you realize that you can overcome any pain or fear by just going through it. Actually doing something is so much easier than anticipating doing it.

The next time you’re facing an unknown that terrifies you, try this.

• Make a list of all the things that could possibly go wrong, things that could hurt you, etc.
• Go back and read through your list. As you scan each item, ask yourself, “Have I ever experienced this before?”
• If your answer is “yes,” then ask yourself, “Did I get through it okay?”
• If you did, you know that you can achieve the same result when you try this new thing.
• If your answer is “no,” ask yourself, “Have I done other things that frightened me?” and “Did I survive?”
• Obviously, if you’re still alive to read your list, you did survive. If you survived once, you can do it again.

See how easy it can be. It’s all a matter of perspective.