University Bridge - Saskatoon

Reflection: Awfulizing: The act of blanketing an event or circumstance with a black cloud, assuming the absolute worst, and actively driving mind and heart into a downward spiral of doom. Been there? Done that?

Some time ago, I wrote about the concept of Discretionary Burdens – worries which may or may not be real. The DB’s are a common outcome of awfulizing. The DB idea generated a strong reaction, which prompted me to develop a DB quiz and work it into my presentations on stress, wellness and balance.

I thought you might enjoy checking your own practices for DB tendencies. Give yourself 1 point for each question to which you can answer ‘Yes’.

1. Have you ever exploded one small comment or action into a great big hairy deal?
2. Have you ever turned something you like to do into something you have to do?
3. In the absence of information have you ever made up your own?
4. Have you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror on an ordinary day, and wondered who is that miserable so and so and who peed in their cornflakes?
5. Have you ever translated a whiff of unsettling news into a full-blown disaster scenario?

Scoring Code: The closer to 5, the greater your awfulizing tendencies and the more you could be stressing yourself out unnecessarily.

Action: The questions themselves suggest these helpful antidotes to awfulizing:

• Keep your reactions in proportion to events.
• Appreciate what you get to do.
• Search out the facts.
• Put a smile on your face.
• Don’t give gossip any more time, attention or weight than it deserves.

Quote Of The Week: “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” – Corrie ten Boom

Resource Of The Week: Check out this commentary on Awfulizing and Rebounding by athletic coach, Dean Hebert which includes an interesting scale, “Just How Bad Is It?”

Readers Write: In response to last week’s message, Many Rights Don’t Make A Wrong

Pause reader CD writes: I so agree that understanding that there are many ways to see things, and that different views are both valid and valuable … is vital to contentment and growth in life.  This is an evolved way of thinking and seems to be linked to deeper levels of maturity. I think that fear and uncertainty are often underlying for ‘right fighters’. They want to secure their world around them, and to take a chance that they may not have it cased is uncomfortable for them.

Pause reader MO writes: “The miracle of your mind is that you can see the world as it ISN’T.” I thoroughly enjoy your messages each week, Pat. You make me smile each time I read them. A great way to start the day.