Discovering the Fountain of Youth

One of the scary thoughts that made up my own “panic pizza” had to do with all of a sudden becoming lost and helpless, like a three-year old.  Here are some of the "thought challenges" I used when I was doing my outings, driving up the Pacific Coast Highway  from Santa Monica to Malibu:

Scary thought: “I’ll be lost and helpless” 

Challenging the scary thought:

"What are the chances I will suddenly become a three-year old?"

"What are the chances that I will suddenly become a three-year-old because I'm in Malibu?"

"How often do adults suddenly transmute into toddlers after they drive to Malibu?  Imagine if panic could actually transmute adults into toddlers.  I would have discovered the fountain of youth!  I’d be rich!”

"I know that, if I got temporarily lost, I could always find my way.  I could look at a map, ask for directions, or retrace my route.  Even if I stayed lost for hours, there would be no danger."