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Martin Seligman has some wise advice as we face serious economic challenges at the start of 2009: "Learned optimism works not through an unjustifiable positivity about the world but through the power of ‘non-negative’ thinking. It's a matter of ABC: When we encounter A-ADVERSITY, we react by thinking about it. Our thoughts rapidly congeal into B-BELIEFS. These beliefs may become so habitual we don't even realize we have them unless we stop to focus on them. And they don't just sit there idly; they have C-CONSEQUENCES. The beliefs are the direct causes of what we feel and what we do next. They can spell the difference between dejection and giving up, on the one hand, and well-being and constructive action on the other. The first step is to see the connection between adversity, belief, and consequence. The second step is to see how the ABCs operate every day in your own life."
An adversity can be almost anything—a flat tire, a frown from a boss, an unexpected large bill, a layoff. Your beliefs are how you interpret the adversity. Be sure to separate thoughts from feelings. "I just blew my career" and "I feel like an impostor" are beliefs. Their accuracy can be evaluated. Consequences are your feelings and actions that follow. You might feel depressed, anxious, angry, or frustrated. Often you will feel more than one thing. You also act. You may withdraw from others, send out resumes, seek revenge, or even cry. In order to avoid the non-productive feelings and counter-productive actions, optimists learn to actively dispute their pessimistic beliefs.
Seligman suggests four ways to make your self arguments convincing: Evidence, Alternatives, Implications, and Usefulness. The most convincing way is to use available evidence that your negative beliefs are factually incorrect. Secondly, most events have many causes. Pessimists have a way of latching onto the worst possible cause—the most permanent, pervasive, and personal ones. Optimists ask, "Is there any less destructive alternative way to look at this or explain it?" They focus on what causes are changeable (“I didn’t spend enough time studying!”); on specific causes (“This project was uncharacteristically harder than anyone could have expected!”); and explore non-personal causes (“That customer has a history of expressing unrealistic expectations to negotiate lower rates!”). Third, what are the implications from the likely consequences? Don’t sweat the small stuff. Life and death are big stuff. Everything else is small stuff. Finally explore whether worrying and ruminating over this will be useful in producing any long-term value? Focus on the things that will help you get where you want to go in 2009.
Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist and professional speaker. He can be reached at 800-521-6172 or at terry@terrypaulson.com.
This is really a great article! I can see real potential for applying these ideas to changing behavior and thought patterns that aren't the best. I jotted some of the ideas down on a post it to stick on my mirror and ruminate on again! Thanks for always providing a great weekly message.
Posted by: Kari | January 06, 2009 at 10:02 AM