I don’t know about you, but throughout my life, taking tests has always raised my anxiety level to full-on panic. It didn’t matter how much I’d studied and prepared. It didn’t matter if I knew the subject matter cold—the panic lived inside me like a hungry piranha waiting to eat me alive.
The countless quizzes and tests in elementary school, middle and high school. The auditions for state orchestras and bands. The PSATs and SATs for college, and then the midterm and finals that would decide my fate in college. The CPA exam, the torture of all tortures, the tests required for Series 7 and 63 and the CFP exam all brought my blood pressure to ear-thumping levels.
Every instant felt as if the weight of the free world rested on success.
In fact, in my quest to get a graduate degree, I opted for a Masters in Taxation simply because I didn’t have to take the GMATs. (No, I did not complete that trajectory, as I began teaching at the same time and couldn’t do both… but I digress).
Here I am in Chapter X, and I feel as though every day is a new test:
How do I meet the challenge of life after my career?
What can I do to make a difference?
How do I stay healthy?
Who am I in this iteration?
While there is some anxiety about it, I hope that I have grown through my experiences and can avoid the panic, spikes in blood pressure, and feelings of dread.
It’s a daily battle. But I hope to pass this test with flying colors.
There is a secret sauce, I believe. I think it’s in gratitude for reaching this stage, along with a solid dose of finding whatever is joyful for you. How do you see it?
