[quote"If you want to break out of a bad mood, you must first understand that every type of negative feeling results from a specific kind of negative thought."[/quote]
Some very smart words by David Burns:
Many people believe that their bad moods result from factors beyond their control. They ask, "How can I possibly feel happy? My girlfriend rejected me. Women always put me down." Or they say, "How can I feel good about myself? I�m not particularly successful. I don�t have a glamorous career. I�m just an inferior person, and that�s reality." Some people attribute their blue moods to their hormones or body chemistry. Others believe that their sour outlook results from some childhood event that has long been forgotten and buried deep in their unconscious. Some people argue that it�s realistic to feel bad because they�re ill or have recently experienced a personal disappointment. Others attribute their bad moods to the state of the world � the shaky economy, the bad weather, taxes, traffic jams, the threat of nuclear war. Misery, they argue, is inevitable.
Of course there�s some truth in all of these ideas. Our feelings undoubtedly are influenced by external events, by our body chemistry, and by conflicts and traumas from the past. However, these theories are based on the notion that our feelings are beyond our control. If you say, "I just can�t help the way I feel," you will only make yourself a victim of your misery � and you�ll be fooling yourself, because you can change the way you feel.
If you want to feel better, you must realize that your thoughts and attitudes � not external events � create your feelings. You can learn to change the way you think, feel, and behave in the here-and-now.
To illustrate the important relationship between your thoughts and your moods, consider the many ways you might react to a compliment. Suppose I told you, "I really like you. I think you�re a neat person." How would you feel? Some people would feel pleased and happy. Others might feel sad and guilty. Some people would feel embarrassed, and some would react with anger and annoyance. What explains such different reactions? It�s because of the different ways they might think about the compliment. In each case the external event � the compliment � is the same. T
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