Feel the fear and do it anyway.
-Susan Jeffers
Many of us have doubts that prevent us from considering all of life’s options.
We might stay in unhealthy situations because we fear the potential outcomes of doing something differently might be worse than doing nothing at all.
But then frustration, anger, anxiety or depression can build up to further complicate matters. Now we have the original concern and another emotional layer to deal with.
Avoidance of consequences is an understandable and common way of dealing with daily life. We have all gone out of our way at some time to avoid pain, humiliation, etc.
-Susan Jeffers
Many of us have doubts that prevent us from considering all of life’s options.
We might stay in unhealthy situations because we fear the potential outcomes of doing something differently might be worse than doing nothing at all.
But then frustration, anger, anxiety or depression can build up to further complicate matters. Now we have the original concern and another emotional layer to deal with.
Avoidance of consequences is an understandable and common way of dealing with daily life. We have all gone out of our way at some time to avoid pain, humiliation, etc.
This can become a big problem if avoidance becomes our primary method of coping with our lives.
Avoidance can take many forms; substance abuse, running away, lying, sexual affairs, overeating, and numerous other behaviors. These can all serve the purpose of helping to distract ourselves from making difficult decisions and taking difficult actions.
If our use of avoidance prevents us from living the life we want, the way we want it to be, then we are maintaining a roadblock to our own happiness.
Like the kid most of us have seen at Big Mart, gripped by a parent, who dances around to avoid the discipline he knows will be painful, we too can bend over backwards to avoid taking an emotionally painful hit.
Avoidance can take many forms; substance abuse, running away, lying, sexual affairs, overeating, and numerous other behaviors. These can all serve the purpose of helping to distract ourselves from making difficult decisions and taking difficult actions.
If our use of avoidance prevents us from living the life we want, the way we want it to be, then we are maintaining a roadblock to our own happiness.
Like the kid most of us have seen at Big Mart, gripped by a parent, who dances around to avoid the discipline he knows will be painful, we too can bend over backwards to avoid taking an emotionally painful hit.
Our emotional contortions actually make things worse for ourselves.
We encourage and teach our clients to address problems directly, deal with the consequences effectively and then move on.
Think of coping as being like a ship cutting through a large wave.
Don’t try to outrun problems, hit them head on. This process builds our confidence and helps us move forward in our lives rather than remaining stuck on one problem indefinitely.
We encourage and teach our clients to address problems directly, deal with the consequences effectively and then move on.
Think of coping as being like a ship cutting through a large wave.
Don’t try to outrun problems, hit them head on. This process builds our confidence and helps us move forward in our lives rather than remaining stuck on one problem indefinitely.
You can do it. Live Well.
2 comments:
Great post. I found this while having some anxiety about all of the so-called "priorities" on my plate. It helped to read your words, so eloquently connected, to get me back on track. Appreciate your help!
I am glad this post was helpful. We can all benefit from gaining a different perspective. Honest and insightful living helps keep us on track. Good luck and thanks for your kind comment. Live well.
Post a Comment