Page 34 - Whoos A. Fraid

CONCLUSION
A willingness to confront the scary, novel situations and difficult people is a necessary skill for success. This ability requires a “Good Thinking” set of beliefs that our fable’s character, Whoos A. Fraid lacked.
In addition to knowing coping self-messages, you must act upon them. Cosmos Crow will frequently say, “Knowing is not doing.” Use coping self-messages to motivate yourself to confront your fears.
In the Exercise portion of this story, it is suggested that the child distinguishes between appropriate (rational) fear and inappropriate (irrational) fear and then confronts the inappropriate fears.
It is suggested that they start with some fairly simple fears:
Eat something you usually avoid eating. You may find that you don’t mind the taste and that even if you don’t like it, you can tolerate it.
Have a conversation with a classmate you avoid. You may still not like being around them but by not avoiding them, you are in charge of the situation and consequently, in control of yourself.
Ask your teacher to let you do something you avoid, such as reading out loud. Even if you are not very good at a task, by doing it you realize that any embarrassment you cause yourself is tolerable because you have initiated the situation.
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