Page 32 - G-Gold to Lead

He tells the Young Man he could melt it down to make musket balls. After all, he has plenty of gunpowder and with more musket balls; he could kill game and feed his family. The Young Man’s lament is “I’ve done that before, they never worked well and I don’t intend to go to that much trouble doing something if it is not going to work .”
The reader may remark that this is a childish attitude, which of course is correct. It is “child-like” but also frequently apparent in adults, particularly when something difficult or frustrating is suggested. “I’ve done that before (dieted, asked for a raise) and it did not work. The unspoken irrational belief is that if I could not do it easily or quickly with minimal discomfort then it can’t be done or that I should not have to do it.
This style of thinking is a real stumbling block for many adults with significant life problems. They usually have this type of belief in a very ridged form. They are hyper vigilant for any indication that something won’t work and then quit trying. This then validates their irrational belief that it could not work. Until the underlying irrational belief is addressed, the unhappy adult will continue to sabotage the efforts of anyone trying to help or encourage them.
It is important, therefore, that we address the child-like irrational belief, “Because I tried this or something like it before and failed, I should not try again.” As adults, we should recognize that rational persistence does pay off. Thomas Edison had thousands of failures before he finally got it right with the electric light bulb.
29