Recently,
I suggested that we avoid the things which make us anxious. Actually,
it was not me who made the suggestion. The idea comes from the great
Aaron Beck.
Of
course, we often resist the idea that we are anxious. Often times we
just feel that we are uncomfortable. In this way we avoid things that make us
uncomfortable. We tend to stay in our comfort zones.
To
deal with the thoughts that make us anxious, or uncomfortable, I proposed
The 2-D Solution. The two D's are: Distract and Dispute.
The
distract part of the equation is relatively straightforward. Most people are experts at distracting themselves. We watch TV, or
surf the internet, or excite ourselves with gambling or video gaming.
All forms of distraction.
The
hard part, the real challenge, is to dispute the negative thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors that give us grief.
For
the most part, the thoughts which give rise to bad feelings and
actions are the result of distorted thinking. For various reasons,
when are emotional brain is in the driver's seat we tend to make
thinking mistakes. Very simply because the emotional brain was
created for survival not accuracy.
And,
as it turns out, these mistakes are quite systematic and predictable.
So, the idea is to dispute these inaccurate, problematic thoughts. Of
course, the question quickly becomes, “How do you do that?”
I
wish I can give you an easy answer. Unfortunately, there are no easy
answers when dealing with the mind. However, the good news is there
are very real and very effective solutions to be had.
I
have thought about this for a while and have decided that the best way to pass
along these effective solutions is to give you an overview of an
outstanding book.
In
the past I have noticed a lot of my readers read the book notes/reports that I post. So, in hopes that I might help someone understand
how to correct (dispute) their thinking mistakes, over the next few
weeks I will be posting my notes from a great book by Arthur Freeman.
Dr.
Arthur Freeman is the real deal. Having received his doctorate degree
from Columbia University, Freeman then studied under the legends
Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck. As a matter of fact, Aaron Beck wrote
the preface to the book I will be posting.
The
book is titled The 10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make and How to Avoid Them. Simple and Sure Techniques for Gaining Greater Control
of Your Life.
Trust
me, it's good. So, stay tuned!
