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In this episode of the Wisdom Project, (Wisdom Study #2.0) Gregg shares a personal but highly relatable story that brings to life the emotional continuum from concern to anxiety to borderline panic. It’s the kind of story we’ve all lived in some form—especially if you’ve ever been asked to cook for a group of very competent, very transparentx friends.
Here’s the setup:
- Gregg and his crew—six high school buddies and six university pals—have been meeting annually for over 3 decades for a weekend of golf, food, drinks, and laughter.
- Each year, different guys take turns hosting meals, and this year… Gregg got tapped for the job. “Oh no!”
- On paper, it’s just dinner. But in reality? It stirred up a storm of comparison, performance pressure, and self-doubt.
- Gregg found himself spiraling into worry, feeling out of his depth when stacked up against his buddies—some of whom could probably moonlight as chefs.
What followed was a humorous, insightful journey that became a perfect case study in the Wisdom Project’s ongoing exploration of how we move along a spectrum:
- From concern (“I hope I don’t mess this up…”)
- To worry (“What if my dish doesn’t stack up?”)
- To anxiety (“They’ll all remember this meal—for the wrong reasons…”)
- And finally, to a kind of reflective awareness and growth (“Wait a minute—what’s the story I’m telling myself here?”)
Rather than let the inner critic win, Gregg used the experience as a kind of film review session:
- What triggered the anxiety?
- What was true?
- What was narrative?
- And how can something so small become a mirror for something much larger?
It’s a story that perfectly illustrates how our inner narratives shape our outer experiences—and how self-awareness and reflection can turn even a BBQ into a wisdom practice.
