Attack of the Killer ANTS

Years ago, while taking the NC Bar Exam, we stayed in Raleigh NC with BFF’s cousin, Dave. 

Knowing that I would need to unwind after Day 1of the 3-day exam, Dave or Sandra (probably Dave) rented the movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. 

This B-rated Horror/Comedy/Spoof is a campy movie with an implausible premise:  Tomatoes become public enemy No. 1 when they turn murderous, preying on humans. 

Enough said.   If you rent it . . . you are on your own.  Watching it does NOT come with a money back guarantee ~ not from me, anyway.

What about ANTs?  Could ANTs become Public Enemy No. 1?  Absolutely.

ANTs are Automatic Negative Thoughts which arise  unbidden when we confront situations similar to those we have faced before:

* I can’t lose weight ~ I am destined to be fat.

* I’m no good at sports ~ no wonder no one wants me on their team.

* I can’t give a speech in front of a group of people ~ I get too nervous.

Our ANTs lie to us daily, filling us with self-doubt rather than encouraging us to see how awesome and groovy we are . . . for good reason.

Our brains have so many thoughts streaming through at the speed of light they would crash if we could not rely on stored information about related subject matter to fill in gaps about the subject at hand. 

It’s an automatic, sub-conscious process that dates back to the time when woolly mammoths roamed the Earth.   

When confronted with an enormous beast, there were only a few critical pieces of information the caveman’s brain wanted ~ it didn’t have time to play “21 Questions” (or sit down for a game of BlackJack).

It needed to know, as quickly as possible, answers to two questions: 

“Is it a carnivore, an omnivore, or an herbivore?” 

“Is it hungry?” 

Even though the days of cavemen and sabre-tooth tigers are long gone, our ANTs encourage us to be conservative as we move through our daily lives,  following the cautious maxim:  Once bitten, twice shy.

What happens when we listen to our ANTs? 

Our list of fears and feelings of self-doubt grows longer and longer with each passing year ~ shrinking the pool of opportunities we could choose to pursue if we ignored our ANTs. 

As noted by Robin Sharma, in The Top 200 Secrets of Success and the Pillars of Self-Mastery:  

“Although the chance of stubbing your toe increases the more you walk, it is always better than going nowhere by standing still.”

An easy way to drown out a few of your ANTs is to repeat the mantra used by The Little Engine That Could as it chugged over the mountain-top:

I think I can.  I think I can.  

Quote:  Don’t believe everything you think! ~ Bumper Sticker

Aah . . . that’s better!

Related post:  Using Stereotypes to Your Advantage (My Literary Quest) * Limiting Beliefs (Think Simple Now) * You Are NOT Your Brain (Always Well Within)