You know you're a therapist when...

[judecorp]

...you start making little cognitive restructuring/strategic intervention type assignments for yourself. Yes, I just gave myself homework.

For the next week, I will spend 15 minutes a night thinking of all of the ills of the world, and another 5-10 minutes ruminating on my contribution to, and responsibility for, them.

Yeah.

Comments

[kungfoogirl.livejournal.com]

I consider it a good day if I remember to walk my dog.

You're so smart and activisty. =)

Actually...

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to /break/ myself of the habit of perpetually worrying about things that I know in my head somewhere that I have no control over.

Re: Actually...

[kungfoogirl.livejournal.com]

I see.

Now when I do thinking like that, I just find a million ways in which I could have, or should have, helped. Either helped prevent it, or helped fix it afterwards, or at least felt bad about it.

Thinking like that would merely make me want to do more to save the world. I'd spent those 10 minutes coming up with big plans to fix things. Novel ideas to induce change. Website touting the benefits of recyling in Atlanta. A zine aimed at getting young girls into the sciences. Attending a rally to oppose the war. Smart and activisty.

Now, I'm sure it's likely a lot healthier to accept that you can't save the world, and to have a realistic grip on how much you can really change things. Which is why YOU'RE the therapist. And I'm a programmer.

Sorry if I misinterpreted what you were saying. =(

Re: Actually...

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Thinking like that would merely make me want to do more to save the world. I'd spent those 10 minutes coming up with big plans to fix things. Novel ideas to induce change. Website touting the benefits of recyling in Atlanta. A zine aimed at getting young girls into the sciences. Attending a rally to oppose the war. Smart and activisty.

You are awesome. I was just telling Jodie that I want to be Professionally Queer again. I miss being activisty all over the place.

Why?

[gala.livejournal.com]

Why not spend 10-15 minutes reflecting on the good things about the world and how you can include them in your life in general?

Re: Why?

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

*smile* See my reply to kungfoogirl's comment.

I spend far too much time in my life worrying about things that I have absolutely no control over. I'm thinking if I try to force myself to actively try to come up with ways that I'm responsible for these large things that give me stomach aches, and fail, that maybe I'll chill out a little.

(I do, by the way, spend an awful lot of time thinking good things.)

Re: Why?

[juliann.livejournal.com]

Yeah but if you do come up with reasons (avoid environmental topics!) you'll feel guilt forever.

Re: Why?

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Oh, honey, I already do.

Catholic School, remember?

(And when I was a child, I would make myself sick worrying about the environment. So I think I've completely worn myself out of that. I gave myself a kiddie ulcer. Sometimes it sucks being the too smart kid.)

How Christina learned about statistics.

[kungfoogirl.livejournal.com]

When I was in 4th Grade, I learned about statistics. Probability, to be exact.

My teacher sat me down. And she showed me a black felt bag, filled with marbles. Most were blue or black or whatever. But a few were red. She asked me to take marbles from the bag, and to tell her when I got a red one. Obviously, I pulled a BUNCH more blue ones than red ones. The red ones were very rare. And because of that, I remembered the number of times I pulled a red marble.

After it was all said and done, she explained how the red marbles are the things in life that we really ought to worry about. They are rare. They are mostly random. You can't predict them with any useful accuracy. BUT you remember whent they happen. They are very salient. The impact that these events have is sometimes astronomical.

So, the point that my 4th Grade teacher made was this: Look. These things happen. They are unhappy things. But you, little Christina, can't change the fact that they will happen and you can't fix things after they happen. So don't stress. Don't worry. Try and focus on the good things. Accept the bad things, and deal with them as best as you can.

And my little 4th Grade mind remembered it. All these years later, I still remember it.

Thats my little lesson for the afternoon.

Re: How Christina learned about statistics.

[yarnaddict.livejournal.com]

I wish my fourth grade teacher had taught me that lesson.