Page 26 - Take Me Out To The Ball Game

In our story, three boys are playing baseball. A y ball is hit into the ou ield and all three boys miss the ball. The rst boy’s automa c thoughts lead him to become angry as he blames the others for his failure to catch the ball (the ght re ex. He con nues to think about the “missed ball” and his emo on of anger causes him to strike out when at bat.
The second boy’s automa c thoughts lead him to blame himself for the failure to catch the ball. He is embarrassed and sad. He thinks that he should quit the team (the ight re ex. When he comes to bat, he is too afraid to make a mistake and is called out because he does not swing the bat.
The third boy experiences the same thoughts and emotions but holds them in check. This allows him to assess the situation,
I missed the ball, evaluate it, But I did fairly well for our first game of the season and choose from alterna ve ways of feeling (he may feel slightly angry, embarrassed or disappointed but not uncontrollable upset.
With manageable emo ons, he is able to s en his resolve to not dwell on the mistake and accept that it just happened. Because he is OK with the “Missed Ball” he hits a home run when he comes to bat.
The skills illustrated by the third boy will allow you to not over or under react to a situa on. In addi on, you will be able to stay with your decision regarding the situa on, regardless of the pressures applied by others to get you to change your mind.
23