Page 25 - Whoos A. Fraid

WHOOS A. FRAID Exercises
When you read a story like Whoos A. Fraid, you may say to yourself, “I am not like that.” These little exercises will help you develop the ability to avoid being like Whoos A. Fraid or if you do resemble him, lessen your resemblance to Whoos A. Fraid.
Fraid was not able to determine the difference between a situation which should truly be avoided and those that merely made him uncomfortable. There are situations that should be avoided, such as running through traffic or taking rides from strangers.
However, some situations are avoided simply because we make ourselves uncomfortable, not because they are truly something we should avoid. For example, eating mushrooms in the forest, without being told by a professional which mushrooms are good to eat, is dangerous and should be avoided. On the other hand, eating a meal at the home of a friend, whose family comes from
a different culture is fine, even if you know no more about their food than you would know about wild mushrooms.
Here are some exercises that can help you not be like Fraid.
Write the name of a food you avoid eating. Now ask your parent to fix it for you. Then try it.
Write the name of a classmate that you are uncomfortable with. Then make yourself have a conversation with that person tomorrow.
Write down something in school you are uncomfortable doing (for example, reading out loud, singing in public). Then ask your teacher to allow you to do it. Write down something that you find scary that you know should not make you scared. Now tell your parent what it is and with their permission, do it.
The point of these exercises is for you to take control of your Stinky Thinking and the fear that you are causing yourself. If you confront your fears and conquer them, you will find that they are silly and you will be able to take full advantage of life.
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