[SeptemberMorn]

Last night, my cat decided he'd climb on my lap for some loving while I was watching TV. I can live with my cat, I can sleep with my cat, I can even eat with my cat... but I CANNOT pet him and touch my eyes or they swell up and itch so bad I could claw them out.

Well, I remembered to not touch my face for a short while after I pet him. Then my left eye started tearing, itching, burning; the usual. Half a bottle of Visine cleared it up... but this morning both my eyes were gummy and swollen. It felt like I'd been crying all night. So what does my mind do? Picks up on it immediately!

I wasn't even out of bed before my mood was in the pits. I almost started crying. Then I stopped myself and asked "Why are you crying??" That's when it hit me. I had no reason to cry... except that my EYES FELT LIKE I HAD!

Makes one wonder about oneself and a community like this, where depression is the norm... how many times we allow our brain to make unconscious, irrational decisions for us?

For myself, I'm going to print out, yet again, a sheet of paper with the words, in bold, capitalized...

STOP

THINK

ACT
as opposed to "react" - a knee jerk reaction

good post tomi.......something to think about.....

[SeptemberMorn]

Thanks, Julia!

[Fuzzybear]

Good post Tomi!

[SeptemberMorn]

[(JD)]

hehehe While I'm dubious of the scientific method, the end result of thinking has value.

[SeptemberMorn]

[mrb020377]

[SeptemberMorn]

Thank ye! Thank ye!

[JustAPixie]

Wow... I didn't know you THINK too!!! Is there anything you can't do????

Seriously, it is very interesting... how many times don't we all have irrational emotions because of such unconscious decisions? I bet we women have started to believe that we HAVE to be moody once a month.... hhhmmmm..... The crappy thing is once you are in that mood, I don't usually want to get out... I just want to sit and lick my wounds and get angry because the rest of the world ain't helping me lick!

[SeptemberMorn]

[JustAPixie]

Thanks... I think... mind the germs though...

[SeptemberMorn]

[JustAPixie]

[SeptemberMorn]

[JustAPixie]

[sabby]

Since we human beans happen to be emotional creatures, some of us learned at a young age to react emotionally first before thinking....me being one of those types of beans. *sigh*

It took me a long time to train myself to engage brain before engaging emotions and mouth LOL. I still battle that issue daily....some days I succeed, some days are iffy.

So here's to all of us who are making a concerted effort at first thinking before reacting!! YAYAY!!!!


Hugsssssss
Jean

[SeptemberMorn]

[(JD)]

I merely meant that it's quite possible that you rubbed more dander into your eyes during the night, thus the problem in the morning. This type of allergic reaction could very well have made you feel lousy.

However, the idea that we jump to conclusions and feel miserable because of them, is a good thought to work on preventing.

[January]

Good post, Tomi!

Even the flamingo approves!

Hugs,

Jan

[SeptemberMorn]

It's possible, I guess, under different circumstances, but I washed my hands real good before I treated my burning eye with the Visine and I sure didn't pet the cat again! LOL

Ever since I did the reality check when I got up, I've been in a pretty good mood!

[Peanut61]

I absolutely agree, (((Tomi))), that if we can get that little bit of time from being triggered or tempted to react from anger/hurt/frustration immediately and examine what is really causing us to be feel as we do, (and it IS us that cause it, not the other or external - noone can make us feel anything), we can use other skills in that window of time to help figure out what is really going on.

Another acronym (sp?) that I think AA uses is H.A.L.T. = and then ask oneself before responding if I am Hungary, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, and if I am any of these, (and I would add another 'T' for triggered), then don't answer right away and, instead, figure out exactly what is bothering me and three options I have re: what to do about it right then, one of which can obviously be to do nothing.

As Sky mentioned, it's amazing I find, the misunderstandings that happen to me because I either jumped to conclusions and made assumptions without much of a basis, or took something personally instead of separating someone elses' 'stuff' from my own.

Good thread, Tomi! :-D

[SeptemberMorn]

SOOOOO good to have you back! {{{{{{Jillers}}}}}}

You made several good points, Jill! WOW! I can find another "A" to add along with your "T". Assumptions; about ourselves or about others!

Hungry
Angry
Assuming
Lonely
Tired
Triggered

This morning, my brain all on it's own, assumed that I had been crying because of how my eyes felt. We all know what assuming gets us when we take things personally! More often than not, it's not about us, anyway.

Just the other day, Jerry made a general comment about mothers. He made a You statement in doing so and the other person thought he was talking about her directly and exclusively. I had to jump in and say, "No, he means mothers in general!" Ah, the art of communication!

[Sabrina]

Good post Tomi. It certainly made me realize how often I fall into the very same trap and how my thinking often creates an unnecessary reaction.

And even though I would rather not admit it, I am guilty of assuming too.

Sigh.

[SeptemberMorn]

We're ALL guilty of assuming, Sabrina. But the thing is, once we're aware of it, we can stop and think before we have a knee jerk reaction. After we've thought about it, we ACT UPON what our different thinking has decided. We avoid a lot of unnecessary pain and upset that way.