The Mouse that Steals my Joy Every Year. In 2 Minutes or Less

#fear #doubt #overcoming #confidennce #assertivness #self-assesment #overcoming

By. Dr.Lisa M. Coffey

December 2021

Facing my fears

Desperately I am trying to face my fears. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been afraid of mice. I do not like the way mice look, creep around, or smell when they are dead. Their marble-like eyeballs, wispy tails, and pointing whiskers drive me crazy. Every winter, a mouse finds his way into my home and sends me into a manic state. In every way, I fall victim to my fears once again. Sharing my personal space with a mouse is unacceptable, cause complete chaos in my life while amusing to my sons.

Every year I find myself in hysterics and dumbfounded as to why my sons do not understand the urgency to get some glue traps and catch the critter. More importantly, I want my sons to please find the hole that allows this critter to invade my home and take over my mind. To them, the mouse is no big deal. I am usually greeted with a "get over it lecture", and "it is cold outside. Where are the mice supposed to go"? My response is," to the neighbors' house."

My fear of mice is real, and seeing one dart across the laundry room when I turned on the light is enough to send me into cardiac arrest. My behavior and reactions are nothing new, and I do not know what I can do other than build a fort around me inside my home. I cannot sleep; I keep all of the lights on, avoid the laundry room, find myself working late to avoid going home, and send my sons to check the glue traps a few times a day. When my sons catch the mouse, I am not restored. In my mind, the pack put out an all-points bulletin on the missing mouse because you know they do not travel alone. Now, the "rat-pack"is out looking for their buddy caught in the glue trap. They are ready to torment me even more. I am a Mouraphobic[1]! This year I moved into a new home; I am hoping for different results but I live in an area with so much wild life and the cold weather does not help!

The Aftermath of Fear

Fear is crippling! For a few weeks during the winter season, I become an anxious, fidgety, restless, and nervous creature belittled by the squeals of a mouse. I am strong until a mouse cross my path. Confident I am no more because we cannot locate the mouse. When the mouse rears its ugly head, I lose all assertiveness and boldness. I proclaim that I am a leader but become pushed over when the mouse invades my space. A mouse will derail my focus and drain my energy.

Overcoming

I share this story because this is a real-life traumatic experience for me and humorous to others. As a servant leader, my goal is to use my experiences to help you get to know yourself better. In my book, iDid and uCan 2, I write, "Fear is a manifestation of our insecurities. Identifying and naming your fears gives you control over the fear and does not allow it to grow. Educate yourself on your worries, find as much information as possible to help reduce your concerns, and not rely on speculation and unproven details. Most importantly, envision success over your fears; once we realize that we create fear, we can exercise our faith to overcome."

Key Takeaway:

What do you fear? What is holding you back and stifling your dreams? Is fear stealing your confidence, boldness, and assertiveness? Are you giving in to your fears? My catatonic state over a mouse is temporary, and I do recover, I do every year. Yet, I am flawed and loose my mind over a mouse and allow the critter to temporarily steal my joy.

[1] The fear of mice, known as suriphobia, musophobia, or murophobia, is one of the most common phobias in the world. It can arise for a number of reasons, such as a frightening experience involving mice or a more general fear of germs and diseases. Their quick, twitchy movements combined with their beady black eyes, long worm-like tails, and sharp front teeth make the presence of mice disconcerting to many people.