时间：2022-09-12 02:24:19
The other day I had to get some 1)moles removed, after a 2)biopsy showed they were“severely 3)atypical.” Since they were both on my back, I laid on my stomach while the doctor’s assistant numbed the areas with 4)lidocaine.
He repeatedly asked me, “Are you okay?”And I repeatedly said, “Just fine!”
Since it didn’t really hurt that much, it surprised me when he said, “Wow. You’re strong!”
I do believe I’m strong, but I’ve always been 5)squeamish around needles—going back to my first childhood finger prick, which I resisted with 6)bloodcurdling 7)wails.
Still, this time, the needle prodding didn’t even 8)faze me.
So what was different this time? One thing: I couldn’t see it. And because I couldn’t see it, I responded only to the physical sensation—not the expectation of pain and discomfort.
How much of life’s toughest challenges would be far less painful if we didn’t anticipate the sting?
几天前，因为活组织切片检查结果显示为“重度非典型”，我得去做一个胎痣切除手术。由于两颗痣都长在背上，所以我俯卧着让医生助理用利多卡因为我进行局部麻醉。
他不停地问我：“你还好吗？”我也不停地回答说：“我很好！”
因为确实不是很疼，所以当他说“哇，你真勇敢！”时，我着实吃了一惊。
我固然认为自己很坚强，但一直以来我总是一见到针头就感到恶心——回想起我小时候第一次被扎手指抽血时，我撕心裂肺地嚎啕大哭。
但这次，我几乎感觉不到针头扎进我的皮肤。
那么这次有何不同呢？关键的一点是：我看不到针头。因为我看不到它，我只能通过身体上的感觉去作出反应——而非预期的疼痛和不适。
若是我们没有料想人生中那些最艰难的挑战所带来的刺痛，那有多少挑战并非如此痛苦呢？
How many difficulties would seem more bearable if we didn’t 9)ruminate over them, stress about them, expect the worst of them, and then create a state of panic that compels us to resist and fight?
Most things aren’t nearly as bad as we imagine they’ll be when they happen. In fact, sometimes they’re pleasantly surprising.
Sometimes you get laid off and feel a sense of freedom, possibility, and vitality that you haven’t felt in years.
Sometimes you end a relationship and come into your own in a way you never imagined possible.
And sometimes when your whole world falls apart, you feel grateful for the opportunity to put it back together in a way that feels more 10)authentic.
I realize this isn’t universally applicable. Some things hurt, even when we consciously decide not to expect the worst.
But most things burn far less when we approach them from a place of clarity, instead of overwhelming ourselves with fears about the fires we’ll have to put out.
When I originally had the moles biopsied, I told a couple of family members—one of whom asked me, “Do you think it could be cancer?”
I responded, “I don’t think anything, because I don’t yet know.”
As a lifelong worrier, I felt proud of that moment. It was a choice not to freak out about what might be coming.
We can’t always be certain where the paths we fear may lead us—but we can choose not to hurt ourselves as we walk toward what will be.
若我们没有反复思量、过度紧张、做最坏的打算，然后制造一种恐慌状态，迫使自己非抵制、斗争不可，那有多少的磨难会显得更容易承受呢？
大多数事情发生时，并不像我们想象的那么糟糕。事实上，有时候会有意外的惊喜。
有时候，你遭解雇了，却反倒重拾久违多年的自由感，感受到新机与活力。
有时候，你失恋了，却反而以一种从未认为能够实现的方式回复真实的自我。
有时候，当你的世界瞬间分崩离析，你会感激自己能有这样一个机会，以一种更为真实可靠的方式来重塑自己的世界。
我知道这并非普遍适用的道理。即使我们有意识地决定不做最坏的打算，有些事情的确还是会让人受伤。
然而，面对大火时，如果我们不是一股脑儿地担心要扑灭大火，当我们从一个清醒的角度看待大火时，会发现其实很多事情“烧”得还远着呢。
当初我需要做活组织切片检查时，我告诉几个家人，他们中有一个问我道：“你觉得会是恶性肿瘤吗？”
我回答道：“我没有想是什么，因为我还无从得知。”
作为一个毕生都杞人忧天的人，我为那一刻的自己感到骄傲。我选择不为未知的将来而惊慌失措。
我们并不是总能确定我们畏惧的未知之路会把我们带往何方，但是我们可以选择在走向未来的时候，不要伤到自己。