Slow Dancing with Discomfort

Sunk Cost Fallacy 

On the Nightstand

In Case You Missed It – Life Improv(ed)!

On the Road

Hi friends,

When to cut your losses...

Have you heard of The Socrates Cafe? I hadn't either but when I saw there was one in my town, I decided to explore further and I found out it's...

 - a place to discuss philosophy and explore a variety of topics and perspectives with others, The Socrates Café, part of a global movement designed to inspire curiosity and to nurture self-discovery and grassroots democracy, invites you to drop by, have a listen, share your thoughts, and meet new people.

Well, they don't call me the QoTNT - Queen of Trying New Things for nothing (no one has actually called me that, btw) and so I popped this recurring weekly event in on my calendar.

And there it stayed, week after week and one week I didn't go and another week I couldn't go and then I just wouldn't go - until finally I went!

Not knowing a soul and slightly worried it would be over my head intellectually, I entered the brewery where the meeting was being held. I introduced myself to the group and waited for instructions. 

I was to learn that the topic for this day was ... something I really didn't want to talk about ... like really, really didn't want to talk about. In fact, I had been going out of my way not to talk about this particular subject (use your imagination) for quite some time. I was paralyzed for a moment. I wanted to leave, but I just got there and didn't want to embarrass myself or hurt anyone's feelings by leaving, but I really wanted to excuse myself. 

Finally, I mustered up the courage to speak. I said...

"I'm so sorry, I don't think this topic is for me, so I'm going to go now so I don't interrupt your conversation."  

It was hard to say/do that!

They were quick to pull me back, "Just try, stay for a while." they said earnestly.  

Against my better judgment, I stayed and quickly realized it was a mistake as they got into the (for me, unwelcome) topic. 

"I'm so sorry, I just have to go. Perhaps I could try another week when the topic is different."

They were polite as I dashed off. 

It's called the sunk cost fallacy.

It’s the tendency to keep going with something because you’ve already invested:

• time
• money
• energy
• effort
• emotion

…even when stopping would actually be the better choice.

Stopping was the better choice (for me), listening to my intuition the first time would have been an even better choice. 

Maybe I will go again. I believe trying things 2 or 3 times gives them more of a fair shot. 

What's going on in your world that you probably have a deep knowing that you should stop, pause, rewind, undo, or generally get the heck out of Dodge (I had a couple of speaking engagements there, for real!). 

What are you waiting for? 

It's not going to get more comfortable or easier. 

The stress of waiting, deciding and planning is like slow-dancing with discomfort. 

Cha-cha-cha your way right out the door! AND...if you'd like to share (and have some accountability), click reply and let me know what you are saying goodbye to

On the Nightstand

I'm rereading Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth. It's probably been a dozen or so years since I read it and I still use tools that I learned in it like,...waste is waste whether it goes in the garbage or in your body. I think of that every time I'm full but 'don't want to waste'.

Everything you need to know is on page 211. 

In Case You Missed It – Life Improv(ed)!