Page 40 - G-Gold to Lead

Worksheet
In the final two worksheet sections of the story, we discuss the Young Man rejection of the suggestions for fear of what others might think. His rejection of these suggestions is related to his guessing that others will ridicule his homemade dolls and not be willing to help him become a plumber. His unwillingness to try these options is based on his fear of other’s reaction. As adults we continue to be plagued by such irrational beliefs if we have not challenged them and replaced them with more rational beliefs.
In the extreme, we can engage in behavior that we know is not in our best interest, because our irrational beliefs trigger intense negative emotions we wish to avoid. The Young Man told himself others would ridicule him if his children had homemade toys. He ‘knew’ no one would accept his offer of the lead and want to help him
You want your children to recognize what the Young Man may have been telling himself to make him reject these last two ideas of the Old Man. They need to recognize that thoughts about what others might say or do or fail to do (not be willing to help him become a plumber) are the basis of his behavior. Did he really know what the others might say about the dolls? Did he really know if anyone would be willing to help him learn to be a plumber? This is another example of him “Mind Reading.”
They need to understand that this “Mind Reading”(usually based on irrational beliefs) about the reaction of others has no foundation in reality. He did not know what would happen but he thought the worst (as most of us will do).
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