>> ARON: LAST WEEK, I WAS IN THERAPY, AND AS I WAS LISTENING TO MY THERAPIST PONTIFICATE ON HOW WELL ADJUSTED I AM AND HOW I'M NOT AT ALL THE THE PROBLEM, I CAUGHT SOMETHING IMPORTANT SHE SAID.

SOMETHING I WANT TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU.

PANIC ISN’T PRODUCTIVE.

IT’S EASY TO FORGET SOMETIMES THAT PANIC ISN’T PRODUCTIVE, BECAUSE IT USUALLY PRECEDES DRASTIC ACTIONS.

YOU PANIC, AND THEN YOU JUMP OUT OF A PLANE.

YOU PANIC, AND THEN YOU ORDER YOUR MEAL.

YOU PANIC, AND THEN YOU GET MARRIED.

THESE ARE JUST COMMON EVERYDAY EXAMPLES.

AND BECAUSE PANIC GIVES A BOOST OF ENERGY AND MOTIVATES WITH FEAR, WE TEND TO THINK OF IT AS THIS EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE THING WHEN REALLY IT’S NOT.

IF YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD, YOU WOULD LIKELY JUMP OUT OF A FALLING PLANE, YOU’D LIKELY ORDER WHAT YOU’D LIKE TO ORDER, AND YOU’D PROBABLY MARRY THE PERSON YOU WANT TO MARRY.

THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER AS LIFE SOMETIMES MAKES IT SEEM LIKE THE CLOCK IS TICKING TOWARDS DOOM, THAT THINGS CAN ONLY HAPPEN PERFECTLY THE FIRST TIME, AND THAT SHAME IS THE ONLY REASONABLE FEELING TOWARDS FAILURE.

AND TO THAT I SAY: BABY BOK CHOY, RELAX.

PANIC WILL NOT SET YOU FREE.

MOST THINGS THAT ARE DONE CAN BE UNDONE, AND NO AMOUNT OF FAILURE WILL DEFINE YOU.

IT’S NOT LIKE YOU’RE A HEART SURGEON.

AND EVEN IF YOU ARE, WHO CARES?

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CALL A HEART SURGEON THAT SCREWS UP?

A DENTIST.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CALL A DENTIST THAT SCREWS UP?

A VETERINARIAN.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CALL A VETERINARIAN THAT SCREWS UP?

A TAXADERMIST!

SO REALLY, IT’S NOT THAT BAD.

LIFE THESE DAYS IS HARD.

YOU DON’T NEED TO BE HARD ON YOURSELF TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU FEEL YOURSELF IN A PANIC, ASK YOURSELF IF IT’S HELPING, TAKE A BREATH, AND TRUST YOU’LL FIND A WAY FORWARD.