Page 35 - Wanda Weasel

CONCLUSION
The type of Stinky Thinking illustrated in this story is at the core of most school difficulties. An inability to have patience and be persistent is a blueprint for failure in almost any setting.
It is not that a school class is too difficult. It is not that you can never learn it. The fact that you did poorly in a similar class last year does not mean that you can’t do well this year. But if you tell yourself those things (Stinky Thinking) they will all come true.
An important point in the “Cosmos Explains” is that “just not acting out” (Thumbs Down behavior because of your Stinky Thinking, is not the goal of this story. You may not immediately get into trouble for your lack of patience or persistence and the frustration and anger (Not OK emotions) that your poor coping skills will cause but you will ultimately experience the negative consequences because you will not change your thinking.
The Exercise will help the children learn some coping self-messages. A deficit in coping self-messages is a significant handicap when it comes to being patient and persistent. Many of those who are impatient and not persistent will not have these types of Good Thinking self-messages. In addition, they will have difficulty accepting that they should have them and use them.
Rewarding behaviors associated with being patient and persistent should be relatively easy. The main thing about this is to be sure that the thinking associated with the patient or persistent behavior is rational, that is Good Thinking.
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