Comments on: Like a bridge over troubled waters. http://internet-bard.com/like-a-bridge-over-troubled-waters/ Wandering the web, full of wonder and stories. Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:31:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Kat http://internet-bard.com/like-a-bridge-over-troubled-waters/comment-page-1/#comment-1271 Kat Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:09:52 +0000 http://internet-bard.com/?p=558#comment-1271 That's a good point, Charles. Taking the next step past "What if?" and actually answering the question realistically, can be a good bridge to getting past the fear. <blockquote>some situations are a little more complicated than cooking...</blockquote> LOL... you said a mouthful, brother! That’s a good point, Charles. Taking the next step past “What if?” and actually answering the question realistically, can be a good bridge to getting past the fear.

some situations are a little more complicated than cooking…

LOL… you said a mouthful, brother!

]]> By: Charles Robinson http://internet-bard.com/like-a-bridge-over-troubled-waters/comment-page-1/#comment-1270 Charles Robinson Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:32:38 +0000 http://internet-bard.com/?p=558#comment-1270 I have always been interested in cooking, but I have always been afraid of trying some dishes because I didn't think they would come out properly. What if I score the duck breast too deeply, what if I don't cut the butter into the pie crust dough correctly, what if the eggs scramble when I add them, what if the milk curdles when I add the lemon juice... All these fears of failure. Finally I started looking at it from a worst case perspective. If I score the duck too deeply there will be cuts in the meat and it won't be as pretty Big deal. If I don't handle pie dough correctly it gets gummy and tough. I can make more. If the eggs scramble I'll strain the sauce. If the milk curdles I'll start over. Being able to identify the fear, formulate it as a problem, and come up with a solution has helped me tremendously in my cooking. They're no longer fears, they are just potential problems with an array of solutions. I'm slowly applying this to other areas, but some situations are a little more complicated than cooking. I have come to realize that the worst case, which is what I automatically assume will happen, is rarely what happens. I have always been interested in cooking, but I have always been afraid of trying some dishes because I didn’t think they would come out properly.

What if I score the duck breast too deeply, what if I don’t cut the butter into the pie crust dough correctly, what if the eggs scramble when I add them, what if the milk curdles when I add the lemon juice…

All these fears of failure. Finally I started looking at it from a worst case perspective. If I score the duck too deeply there will be cuts in the meat and it won’t be as pretty Big deal. If I don’t handle pie dough correctly it gets gummy and tough. I can make more. If the eggs scramble I’ll strain the sauce. If the milk curdles I’ll start over.

Being able to identify the fear, formulate it as a problem, and come up with a solution has helped me tremendously in my cooking. They’re no longer fears, they are just potential problems with an array of solutions.

I’m slowly applying this to other areas, but some situations are a little more complicated than cooking. I have come to realize that the worst case, which is what I automatically assume will happen, is rarely what happens.

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