Reply to INDI and MARDE
Indi;
I can’t believe I called you Pat in this reply, but then again…mush
brain, yep,
situation normal. 
Hey, I like the positive affirmation exercise. I think it is a lot like the
ABC’s - taking a situation and changing the result. OK, let me see if
it works:
The dishes need to be washed, I am visualizing clean dishes, I feel like doing
the dishes. Nope, sorry, I guess I need more work.
Just kidding, actually I do know what you’re talking about because I’ve
used it
on my kids before when playing soccer. My daughter still jokes with the other
kids that I’m always telling her to visualize the ball going into the
goal. She
thinks it sound goofy (mainly because I’m the one saying it) but when I
make her
do it, she pretty much will put it in there. I used this technique for getting
over my nervousness of riding a motorcyle. I would tell myself that it
would be
great to not have to fight with the kids over who gets to ride with Dad, then
envisioned myself on the bike everyday (up front) for about a month,
then when I
started riding it was not a problem.
Marde;
You are ABSOLUTELY right as far as I’m concerned. As a matter of fact,
I feel
like I’m missing a dear friend since I gave up my smokes. Hey, cigs
were my
buddy for 30 years. I miss them (sniff), I miss their feel, their smell (they
still smell good to me), the instant gratification of all those glorious toxins
and poisons filling my lungs. They were there for me in my high times
and low
times. But what a rotten friend they turned out to be - I feel
betrayed, angry,
frustrated because I can no longer justify damaging myself with these implements
of bodily destruction, these cancerous coffin nails so to speak. Now I feel
there’s a big hole in my life. Yep, pretty depressing to me.
Fortunately, I’m
learning,, day by day, how to fill that hole or at least deal with it in a
positive manner. Hey, that’s why I’m here.
- Cat