Page 28 - Plowing the Desert

WORKSHEET
Cosmos points out that our insistence that life should be easy can extend into everything to include game playing. This failure to be willing to do the di cult and to distract ourselves with me was ng diversions is the result of our S nky Thinking.
The game example lets you illustrate that a refusal to learn the rules of a new game (or subject ma er in school) will result in Not OK emo ons and Thumbs Down behaviors. If you play the same game over and over, you may become red of it.
The same is true of most of real life. An unfortunate consequence of substance abuse in many adolescents is that they con nue to plow the desert rather than learn how to deal with life di cul es and ge ng on with their lives. As such, they cope with frustra on and di cul es just as they did when they were fourteen when they are thirty four.
1. What type of emo ons will you have if you insist that your friends only play the games you like to play?
Not OK emo ons
2. What type of behavior are you having if your friends want to play new games and you fuss and pout and insist on playing only the games you like?
Thumbs Down behavior
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