Page 24 - Whosjobisit

Reality Test
These are questions to ask yourself to determine if your thinking is Stinky. (We will use Howard’s example of cleaning his nest)
1. What is the situation?
(The others want me to clean my nest.)
2. How am I feeling now and is it an OK or Not OK feeling? (Anger... Not OK)
3. What am I telling myself about this situation?
(“The others are being mean to me. I shouldn’t have to clean my nest if I don’t want to.”)
4. Is there a different way for me to think about this situation? (“Everyone has to keep a clean nest, not just me. If I have a dirty nest, it will stink and be buggy.”)
5. Which of these “thinking” examples makes more sense (is more likely to be true)?(“That everyone has to keep a clean nest so we can live together nicely.”)
6. What will happen if I go with my first impulse (Stinky Thinking)? (My nest will be nasty and no one will want to come over
to play.)
7. What will happen if I go with the alternative thinking (Good Thinking)?
(My nest will be nice and others will be willing to come over and play.)
8. Which result would you rather have happen? (The second one.)
Many situations in life will be more complicated than this example but if you Reality Test them, you will come up with an answer that is in your best self-interest.
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