I used to wonder if I was the only one struggling with certain issues.  I would spend a lot of time and energy on this, to the point of not living my life.  I’d question myself over and over.  It wasn’t fun.

One example is wondering if I was the only one that reread messages after it was too late to change them.  I would check for grammatical errors and see if the message made sense.

Then the most wonderful thing happened.  People started texting and using an asterisk to self-correct.  I would ask a friend to go to dinner over text and she would write back with the following message:

Yes, I cane make it!
*can

Wait a minute!  That means others are reading their text messages and noting errors too!  I thought I was the only one that did that!

Why re-read a text after it’s already sent?  Why read a ‘sent’ email?

Here are some possible reasons:

1. To admire your writing – Sometimes I’m so proud of what I was able to craft and put together that I like to reread it.
2. To see if you made mistakes – Even though I check my messages for grammar and to confirm the message will make sense to the reader, I want to make sure even after the note or text is sent.  I’m afraid to do it because it’s too late to change it but I do it again anyway.

I thought there was something wrong with me for checking a message when it was too late to correct it.  But I’m not the only one that does this!!!  In fact, with the speed of messaging, society has invented a technique to self-correct.  I love this!  Messages are fast, thoughts aren’t always clear, but let’s embrace that we’re human, that phones erroneously auto correct, and make it ok to make mistakes!  I REALLY love this!

I’m not the only one that takes this step. It may seem weird, but it’s not just me.  I’m normal or at least am not alone.

Now I wonder a lot less whether I’m the only one that does things in a certain way, or feels this or thinks that or struggles with an issue.  How would you feel if you really believed everything you do, think and feel is ok and knew others are exactly the same as you?  Relaxed, relieved, comfortable?  I know that’s how I felt.

*feel