As I said before you were trying to find a way to fix or control or fix how you felt, that's totally against what the book says but it is the way we work, if it feels broken we must find away to fix or stop it when the opposite is true. Be cool with whatever thought comes up, don't try to stop it, don't try to make sense of it, it's only a thought and means nothing, be willing to feel anything also, be cool with any state, whatever state is fine, again don't try to change it, it is all about attitude, however you feel is fine. Why does this work? It gets you out of your head and back on life, you feel more conscious as your not wasting all your day on it, you save so much mental energy by not going over and over it, you give your mind and body the break it so needs by not stressing and worrying so it can heal itself, you stop being anxious about being anxious which breaks the cycle and you learn to be ok with whatever comes up, it stops bothering you, the fight is over. It's an attitude that can come over night or take time just keep working on not trying to change anything.

Letting it play in the background does not mean ignoring it, it just means no longer engaging in its games. Whatever ever state arises is fine, so there should be no resistance to what is, no worrying, no suppressing, no questioning, left alone is exactly what your mind and body wants to heal. Remember whatever feeling or thought arises is fine, just go about your day with them there, don't fall into the fix, question or suppress state but don't try to ignore or reject the feeling, the thought or feeling is fine and needs to rejection, it needs space to be as it is.

Try to get your mind away from negative thinking and focus on singing or humming a tune you know well. Do this for 30 minutes and your automatic negative thinking will be substantially reduced. You can hum under your breath ... even at work. When you are alone, remind yourself that your negative thoughts are not rational and that they are completely wrong, biased, and are lies. ANTs always lie, always cheat, and always try to trap you into believing their B.S. Do not let the ANTs succeed. The ANTs are liars and their days are numbered. Open your workbook, read the truth, relax, and slowly repeat the truth to yourself, over and over. YOU are more than a worthwhile human being, and YOU are doing your best to overcome anxiety. YOU are doing nothing wrong. ANTs thoughts and feelings are always lies. They can never tell the truth.

The Fridge Exercise

The Fridge Exercise

One exercise of imagination, which will help you to come to an awareness of your higher self, is the metaphor of the fridge:

-“So I would like you to imagine that you’re a fridge! The first thing that happens is that somebody comes along and puts some butter in you... what do you do?”

-Most people at this point say “Keep it cold.”

-“And somebody else puts some milk in you, what do you do?”

-“Keep it cold.”

-“And somebody else puts a dirty old boot in you, what do you do?” Here there is usually some hesitation, but, sometimes prompted by “You’re a fridge”, people more or less reluctantly say,

-“Keep it cold”.

-“Right! And why is there no point in you, as a fridge, getting upset about the presence of the old boot (although it’s entirely understandable that you may not like it!)?” People usually see that it’s because, as the fridge, they are not in control of what comes into or goes out of them. “And do you think you are the butter, the milk or the old boot?”

-“No, I’m the fridge.”

07/24

Actions:

-Do NOT self-check (ex. Now I am feeling better / worse than before). Each day is a clean sleight, like London Snap. (90% of thoughts you thought yesterday will be thought today and it is normal)

-You are stuck in the primitive brain. Problem solving and rational thinking is disabled. Everything is feared and catastrophized.  Take the foot of the gas pedal.

-Slow down everything

-No matter which thoughts enter the mind, just observe and describe (label). For example “money”, “russian”, “muslims”, “uncertainty”, “failure”, “dependency schema”, “enmeshment schema”, “overestimation of danger”, “over importance of fear”, “in the well”.   Ride the wave.

-After thought is described, use Teflon mind to slip it right out
-Bring the attention back to the present moment as many times as needed (this is not struggle)
-Slow down and think one-mindfully in the present
-Gently invite dragon for a dinner. Have fun with it. Ask him questions (invite and expose)

-Self-soothe / Humor / Distract with pleasurable activities

-Create positive experiences
-Do whatever works.
-Stop catastrophizing.

-Be able to sit with anxiety.

Reminders:

-It is OK to mess up (most of the ANTs are about messing up)

-It takes time to blaze new trail, be patient
-ANTs are liars
-Setbacks are part of the experience

-The goal is not eliminate but habituate

-This is an opportunity to use acquired skills to eliminate imaginary fear of being “in the well”

-What are the other ways I can look at the situation?

-Emotion is information and not fact

-Fear is a signal. Are you in danger every time you are afraid? May be I am in danger, but it is not a fact.

-Thoughts are something we have, not who we are

07/25

Actions:

-Accept and be prepared that tomorrow morning will be the same as today.

-Desire tomorrow to be same as today, in order to use exposure to test acquired skills

-Slow down

-Dismiss every single worry. Think the thought and put it on conveyor belt.

-Immediately after that gently bring your attention to the present. Experience present with all senses (sight, smell, sound)

-DO NOT fall prey to somebody else’s issues. (Schemas triggered, fears etc.)

-Respect opinion of the other person (no matter how nonsensical it is)

Observations:

-The reason mornings are pretty rough is because unconscious is trying hard to resolve nonexistent problems, and you are not using skillful means

-You are making a lot of progress. You are able to cope successfully

-Fear without danger present, that it is why it is no unnatural

-It takes time to blaze new trails

FEARLESS

* = Ones I use for my basic reminders/affirmations.                  

FEARLESS

*I am fearless.

*If my life is not threatened, then there is no legitimate basis for fear.  I will simply handle any other consequences at the time they occur and I will choose always to be happy and grateful.

I simply ask: How can I benefit from this? Or *“Ok, that’s what happened, now what can I do and how can I be happy now for all there still is?”

*I can only do my best and then accept the consequences.  And then I simply go from there.

*I will survive virtually any outcomes and do my best to be happy.  There is nothing to fear, as I cannot lose more than the 1,000’s of blessings I already have. 

*Undesired outcomes are simply outcomes that happen as a part of life, simply part of the mix, but overall I have so much and I will survive, so there is no need to fear anything

I am totally powerful in determining my life and happiness and I easily do that.

I am totally powerful in my doing and in my own thinking.

It is more beneficial to trust my decisions by my feelings – and then let it be, as the outcome is beyond my control. 

GRATITUDE, APPRECIATION, SEEING WHAT IS

*This is heaven.

*There are virtually infinite things to be grateful for and any loss of a few does not affect how great life really is.  I do so incredibly much appreciate this life for there being such great gifts and benefits.

*I am so very blessed.  I am grateful for the immense positives in my life.

I AM “CAUSE OVER THE MATTER.”

*I am the creator of it all.

I am the one and only source.

I create my universe.

INTENTION TO LIVE WELL

*I will appreciate my life always to the last day and choose happiness.

I will enjoy life all the way into being really old, appreciating the memories and marveling at life and the body.

I will maintain an excellent mental capacity to a very old age and my entire life.

ALREADY READY TO RESPOND, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO  FEAR  

I am already prepared for anything as a Karate master of life.

I control my balance and can do anything.

When I am present and focused on what I want, I am empowered.

OTHERS

There is no (irreparable] mistake, I can be totally powerful no matter what.

I live large.

I lead with love.  I love no matter what.

I am love.

I can get a benefit from anything that occurs.

It is not what I do or the outcomes, it’s how I do it, with love.

People get to handle their own stuff.  It doesn’t affect me and I myself lose nothing.  I am the determiner of my state.

(I keep these in my Reminders Notebook for easy access.)