Page 71 - Tree of Happiness

Worksheet
Just about situation can cause you to be afraid if you let it. We sometimes tell ourselves that we are weak, silly or stupid. These are Stinky Thinking self-messages. In “dragon” situations, it may be appropriate to be afraid but that does not mean you should always avoid the situation.
As with our Queen and her dragon, you should use your “Good Thinking,” “Is this something I need to do?” and “What is the worst that could happen?” Evaluate the reality (not some vague catastrophic consequence) of the situation, come up with a plan to deal with the situation and then do it. Sounds simple but its not.
Our Queen was so scared that her armor rattled but she faced her dragon anyway. And just as you might expect, the dragon ran away. Most of our fears are manageable and once faced, we are able to face similar ones in the future.
The Queen cautions the crowd that these Dragons (fears) may come again and we will need to confront them or they will conquer us. She understood that we are only human and that sometimes we may “run away” when the next dragon comes. But that does not mean we are weak or cowards. We must give ourselves permission to not be perfect but also not give ourselves permission to frequently give in to our personal dragons just to avoid feeling anxious or fearful.
1. The Queen was afraid of the Dragon. But she told herself things that helped her face the Dragon. What did she tell herself?
It is OK to be afraid but this is something I must do. I may be killed but knowing that I failed to do this would be worst.
2.When she had those coping thoughts, how was she feeling?
Scared but confident.
3.Why did she tell the others that if the dragon ever came back that they would have to face it again?
She knew that if you did not face what you fear, it just gets “bigger and
more scary.”
4.Why did she know some would not help the next time?
Because some would have Stinky Thinking and run away.
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