Saturday, August 1, 2009

Turn Negative Automatic Thoughts Around for a Dolce Vita

Yesterday, as I was trying to carry too many groceries from my car to the house, the carton of eggs fell on the ground and smashed. My first reaction was sadness and disappointment. It was money down the drain in an economy in which few of us can afford to waste; I would not have eggs for my son's breakfast; I would have to clean up that mess on the garage floor and pray that rodents didn't' have at it first, etc. I carefully put the lid back over the smashed eggs and brought the carton into the house. Suddenly I decided to take a deep breath and think of what good might come of this situation. Indeed, as I picked up each egg to check, at least six of them were still intact, and several of the others had cracked inside of the carton--where I was able to pour out their liquid and scramble them up in a pan for my dog's breakfast per non spreccare nulla (so nothing goes to waste).

One of the most common errors in thinking style is the automatic negative thought process; something which creeps up on us suddenly and colors our mood even before we realize it. But when you look at the "evidence", the cold hard facts, things are rarely as awful as they seem to be, or as we expect them to be at first glance.

Today I challenge you to see "beyond" the discouraging surface to what really is---and look for the beauty in what remains. This is the way to a dolce vita , a sweet life.

If you feel this message is useful to someone, feel free to pass it on, as long as you give proper credit (below)
Your Life Coach,
Raeleen Mautner, Ph.D. www.dolcevitaseminars.com or www.raeleenmautner.com