you know it took me a long time for me to realize that I can "stop and think" about something if I don't know the answer. i tell this to my boyfriend all the time because he "guesses" alot at answers... and it drives me nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i don't know why my whole life i thought i should know everything at the drop of a hat. i always thought i should know how to get anywhere without a map or directions... yes i used to think that way. i always thought if i didn't know something, that made me stupid...

but nowwwwwwwwwwwww... i know that it's impossible to know everything.

and there is nothing wrong with stopping and saying "okay i don't know the answer to this or i am not sure how to react to this... so let me stop and think about it". whether this be stopping doing something at work to focus more on the issue, or stopping and pulling over while driving to read a map... or asking someone to stop talking while you think, etc, etc.

i think giving ourselves permission to "stop and think" about things is a good start. you shouldn't know how to respond to all things, and getting lost is a real fear... but if you stop and tell yourself you're going to take a minute to adjust to what has just happened... gives yourself the permission to stop and thus not panic.

of course this is coming from a 46yo... took me a long time to realize i dont have to know everything all the time