Anxiety: Worst Case Scenario Thinking (90 Second Read)
Daniel Crosby • January 9, 2024

If you met my wife, she would tell you that I can go to a “worst case scenario” mindset faster than anyone you’ve ever met.


Maybe I’m biased or just downright defensive, but the science agrees that our brains are wired for worst case scenario thinking. That’s how we’ve survived as a species for this long.


While analyzing risks is a good thing the fact that we are higher level thinkers demands that we take responsibility for balancing that survival skill with a more productive reality.


Here are 3 reasons we need to overcome our “worst case scenario” thinking:


1. Analysis Paralysis


When I spend too much time thinking “worst case scenario” I miss out on incredible opportunities. While I’m worrying, life is passing me by. Others reap the rewards all around me. I’m stuck in indecision.


Homework: Begin taking small, calculated risks to build up your risk tolerance muscles.


2. Self-fulfilling Prophecy


By thinking “worst case scenario” we can often sabotage ourselves into making mistakes. Earl Nightingale said, “We become what we think about.” If all you ever think about is negative, then negative will seem to be pervasive throughout your life.


Homework: Make yourself list the positive alternative alongside the worst-case outcome to create balance in your thinking.


3. Relationship Burnout


Worst case scenario thinkers can be exhausting. There’s a time and place for playing Devil’s Advocate, but if this is all someone is bringing to the table it becomes draining on a relationship and an organization.


Homework: Try to always come to the table with a solution to the Devil’s Advocate problem you’re presenting to the given situation.


Every day I help hurting frazzled people by walking with them as they get back on the path toward becoming who God created them to be. Shoot me an email if there’s anything I can do to help you or someone you know.

"Uncomfortable" Book Review

By Daniel Crosby • May 7, 2025
“Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community” by Brett McCracken is a great book to read if you’re a church person or if you’ve become somewhat detached and frustrated with the church. McCracken challenges all of us, conservatives and progressives, to think about the WHY behind Christian community and one of the fundamentals of finding the WHY is approaching it with humility. Maybe you having it your way and telling everyone else they’re wrong wasn’t exactly what Christ had in mind when He instituted the church. iPhones and iPads seem to have morphed into iChurch in a sense. American culture has turned Christ’s church into a business that caters to our comforts aesthetically, relationally, and politically. It’s made us consumers, critics, and reviewers of the Church rather than servants of THE Kingdom. It’s not wrong to have preferences and to like some things better than others. Music, décor, and speaking style are all over the spectrum at different churches, but he argues that the point of picking a church and serving in it should be less about does it meet my needs and more about whether I’m showing up and using this place along with this group to glorify God. He annoyed me in parts because he steps on my toes but maybe we need that a little more often. If you’re disenfranchised with the status quo and you feel like it’d be good to be challenged about church then go grab “Uncomfortable” by Brett McCrackin.

Look for Beautiful Things

By Daniel Crosby • April 28, 2025
Look for beautiful things when you're restless, uncomfortable, or on edge. There's something about acknowledging the good around us that helps us reset and realize that it's not all bad. If you're struggling to see beautiful things in the world, come see me and we can talk more about it. www.danielcrosbycounseling.com

"The Needs of the Heart" Book Review

By Daniel Crosby • April 24, 2025
“The Needs of the Heart” by Chip Dodd is a book that will blow your mind. When I picked it up, it’s a very small thin book. Less than 100 pages. I assumed I’d breeze through it in a couple of hours. About a month later I finished digesting it. The truth is we cannot fully live the life God has called us to unless we acknowledge that we do have needs, that these needs are good, and discover the healthy ways of meeting these needs. Chip takes common human needs like Security and Accomplishment and he unpacks what they really are pointing us to in his typical concise but brilliant depth. There’s no fluff here. With chapters just 3-4 pages each, you’re going to want to have a highlighter ready to underline, to ponder these topics, and maybe then to discuss them with someone you know and trust. You’ll come away from this book with a deeper sense what is already fulfilled within you and ones that might be lacking where you need to go do a deep dive with a lot of prayer and introspection. If you liked Chip’s book “The Voice of the Heart,” this is one is your next read. Go grab “The Needs of the Heart” by Chip Dodd.