I often wonder if when Babe Ruth gave this quote, he knew he was spitting out one of the greatest life euphemisms the world would ever hear or if he was simply answering a reporter’s question. The quote is always attributed to The Great Bambino, but I couldn’t find anything on when or where he said it. In a world where no one yet knew much about advanced analytics, I could definitely see a reporter asking him something along the lines of “Do you worry you’re striking out too much?” and The Babe firing back this perfect quote blissfully unaware just how powerful it was.
Babe Ruth was a home run hitter, and just like most home run hitters, he struck out a lot. He led the American League in strikeouts five times and racked up 1,330 career strikeouts. A record that stood for 29 years until the great Micky Mantle broke it. Babe Ruth was simply not afraid to strike out, and that fearlessness contributed to his remarkable career.
Fear is the limiting factor in so many of our lives. It stifles growth, depletes emotional energy, and sucks the joy from our lives. This is especially true in the lives of the chronically ill. We are dealing with all the usual fears in life plus the uncertainties of living in a body that is failing us. People living with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis have the specific and crippling fear of our bowels failing us. This can take many forms. It can be the obvious public shitting of one’s pants, but it could also be an untimely bag leak if you have an ostomy; or, not actually soiling yourself; but still having the embarrassment of running to the bathroom clenching your but cheeks; it can even just be being stuck on a public toilet for hours leaving your friends wondering where the hell you’ve vanished to. The fear can look different to different people, but if you’re living with Crohn’s or Colitis, there’s a genuine possibility that your bowels could let you down when you least expect it.
So, if the game is life and a strikeout is some type of embarrassing poop mishap, how do we start taking the Sultan of Swat’s advice and live life to the fullest? Here are my top three ways to do just that!
Be Prepared
When shit hits the fan (maybe literally), knowing you have a game plan will help ease your fears. Pack an emergency kit and fill it with everything you might need. Your kit might contain: a change of clothes (don’t forget socks, I always end up with shit on my socks!); toilet paper or paper towels to clean up with; if you have an ostomy, make sure you have all the supplies and tools you need; maybe you want to include some sort of odor eliminator; and don’t forget some garbage bags to throw your soiled clothes in. Keep the kit with you or nearby, and if disaster does strike, you’ll be ready.
Visualize the Worst-Case Scenario
Gaining a sense of proportion can really bring clarity and a new perspective to your fears. How big of a deal, really, is shitting your pants? Take a few minutes and visualize what the worst case-scenario is in your mind. Now, visualize how you’re going to overcome it. I know you already have your emergency kit ready to go because you followed my first lifechanging tip. So, I imagine the solution to just about any doomsday scenario you come up with goes a little something like this: crack a few jokes, go grab your kit, clean yourself up, and get back to whatever it was that you were doing.
Use FOMO to Your Advantage
Now that you’ve visualized your nightmare scenario and you know exactly how you’re going to overcome it, is that fear worse than your fear of missing out? If it is, maybe you should skip the party, but if it’s not, use your FOMO to your advantage and get your ass ready to go!
To put the Babe’s famous quote into terms an IBD patient will really understand, don’t let the fear of shitting your pants keep you from living life to the fullest. Let’s make him proud.
Do you ever let IBD fears control your life? Have you ever lived a worst-case scenario? Let me know in the comments below!
