Conquering Crises

Negative thoughts are like rats. They arrive in groups. One shows up and before you know it they have taken over.

E.g: you take a phone callfrom a rude customer at work. Your first thought is, “I hate rude people”.

Followed by your next negative thought, “In this job I’m surrounded by rude people!”

And your next negative thought, “In this job I’m surrounded by rude people and I’m underpaid”.

And the next, “In this job I’m surrounded by rude people and I’m underpaid and underappreciated”.

And then, “In this job I’m surrounded by rude people and I’m underpaid and underappreciated and come to think of it I’m not appreciated at home either”.

Now the rats are arriving in droves, “In this job I’m surrounded by rude people and I’m underpaid and underappreciated and come to think of it I’m not appreciated at home either and tonight I’ll have to cook dinner, why can’t my useless husband get off his backside, my mother always told me I was making a serious mistake..and now I’ve got a headache, maybe it’s a tumour!”.

Is this scenario familiar? A lone rat becomes a plague. You need to extermination strategy and here is the best approach I know to rid yourself of the rats. The moment you have your first negative thought, ask yourself, “What’s good about this?”

What’s good about confronting rude people?

• I’m building character and patience.
• I’m developing people skills that will help me in my next job.
• The rude people at work help me to appreciate my husband.

Now you might say, “Let’s be realistic”.

• Lousy things happen.
• You have to make the best of things.
• Happy people have the habit of saying, “What’s good about this?”
• Do you want to be happy or not?

You break your leg.. “What’s good about this?”

• I get to rest.
• I learn to empathise with sick people.
• I get to read some great books.
• I can’t vacuum for a month.

In a nutshell:

One negative thought attracts another.

One positive thought attracts another.

Before the plague starts, ask yourself, “What’s good about this?”