I love football. I mean I L O V E football! Total NFL junkie here. And I also like power tools. As a matter of fact I’ve asked for a jigsaw for Christmas the last oh 5 or 6 years! (Side note: I’m probably able to type because my thoughtful husband has ignored this request realizing I’m too clumsy to safely use plastic utensils so – I’m not saying it’s a BAD thing that I don’t have one… I am rather fond of having all my fingers.)

Anyway, I’m not telling you this because this week is the start of the NFL Season (woo hoo!!!!). No, I have a much better reason – see, what I’m about to tell you next is so very stereotypical “girlie” that I just want it to be clear that while I LOVE shoes and bags and bling – I’m a very well rounded person (and no – I’m not referring to my butt, thank you very much!).

I know this next part will be frightening to read, but stick with me – I promise to keep the blood and gore to a minimum and I am perfectly okay now that the event is over.  Deep breath. (I hate reliving it – but I will)… Here goes.

So – I stepped onto the back patio very late last night to let the dog do its business when I was attacked by a rabid, HUGE, man-eating prehistoric, reptile of immeasurable proportions. This creature straight, out of a sci-fi movie, grabbed my foot and started wrapping it’s body and claws and giant teeth around my ankle!

I kicked and screamed (duh!) and began trying to back away but this animal – this “thing” was so crazed it continued to follow me! I was afraid to open the door – I didn’t want it to get inside but I was in fear of my life!

Somehow, I finally managed to get free and run inside, scaring my husband half to death because I was still shrieking that my skin was tingling – almost like it was on fire and I knew I had to get a shower immediately before the poison could spread thru my system and I would be dead.

Barely able to catch my breath, I spat out what had happened to my husband who proceeded to look at me as if I had utterly lost my mind. I still cannot believe he was so nonchalant while I was on the verge of certain death.

I guess to be fair – I have to admit I might have exaggerated the critter just a bit. If you wanna be all like “scientific” I suppose you would technically call it a “frog” – but I’m telling you – I almost died!

The above story is 100 percent true.

Now – was I really in danger? Of course not!

Do I KNOW that I was not in danger? Of course I do!

BUT… you see, because I don’t like creepy crawly things on my skin – my body had a much larger than required reaction. Based on my heart rate and the fear pulsing thru my entire being it might as well have been a rabid alligator… and no – I do not know if gators actually get rabies – stop interrupting me please 🙂

Truthfully, this is why we have to be sooooo careful with our emotions… they lie to us. While I’m a big proponent of “gut feelings” and “instincts” and being “spirit led” I know that sometimes (usually based on something in our history) we FEEL things out of proportion to the actual event.

And that hurts our feelings. And makes us sad. And insecure. And tilts our perspective.

We react to a T-Rex – when reality is just a frog.

So next time you are running scared, or hurt, or disappointed – it might help to stop and really evaluate if what is going on merits such a strong reaction. Certainly at times it does! But when it turns out to be just a sad little creepy thing shake it off and move on.

 Life is way too short to waste all that time and energy on a frog. Or a lizard.

Trust me – I’ve been there.