Page 9 - LS_Grizzly Bear Story

Cosmos Crow here again. Now let’s spend some time talking about what happened in the story and what you can learn from the story. First, all three men had the same thing happen to them--they were all confronted by a bear.
Second, we saw that each of them felt and acted differently. This story and others in this series will help you understand why we feel and act the way we do and how to control and change those feelings and behaviors.
Most of the time you think that “A,” the “activating event,” causes “C,” the “consequences” (how you feel and behave). If you are angry or sad and someone asks you why you seem so upset, you may reply, “Because the teacher gave me a failing grade” or “Because Tommy called me a
name.” That is exactly what most people would say, even grown-ups. But they would all be wrong.
Your feelings and behaviors are the result of the things you tell yourself. Because if you tell yourself foolish, unrealistic things (Stinky Thinking), your emotions will be negative, like anger, fear or shame. This will lead to inappropriate behavior like fighting, lying or avoiding others.
By telling yourself things that make sense (Good Thinking) about a situation, you will have appropriate emotions and more effective behaviors.
6