When I was younger, I had some pretty uncomfortable experiences with tests taken for my epilepsy. I don’t recall a lot of specifics. It’s like my brain has blurred yet escalated those memories. I can tell you for sure that the letters EEG and MRI cause me to clench up and revert to childlike behavior. I just can’t seem to get over how awful my first associations with those tests were.
Recently, my doctor asked me to have both those tests done again. I was NOT happy. It took me a while to admit to myself that this would be helpful. It took me even longer to convince myself that many things have changed since I was younger and it may be much different now.
At The Office
When I first walked in for the tests, I realized I felt like a frightened child and I felt disabled. Worse yet, I realized I was acting like a frightened child who had a disability. I was talking quietly and not standing up straight. This wasn’t me. I’m a college educated, happily married, mother of two and a professional speaker. Still, that was not what I was presenting myself as to the staff at the medical office on this morning.
The Real Difference
As soon as I realized the image I was projecting was so far from the person I had grown to be, I changed my demeanor immediately. When Patti, the tech performing the tests, started to ask me questions about my family and profession; my answers would be believable. Now, I was backing those positive stories about my wonderful marriage and adorable kiddos with every other element of my communication. My voice was confident and my questions were asked intelligently. When there was pain because of the tests, I explained what I was feeling to Patti but didn’t over-react. Things would be different then years ago because I am a different person.
The Question
When you get upset about how someone else treats you, ask yourself: “Are you acting like the person you want to be treated as?” WOW! That is a tough one to swallow. All of the sudden the responsibility is yours. More importantly, the opportunity to be treated as a better, stronger individual is in your hands. Whether anyone else notices it or not, when you decide to exhibit the traits of who you want to be treated like, you will treat yourself better. You will be empowered to get through whatever tests present themselves today because you know what makes you strong and you are prepared to share them with the world.