Aim at the right target

Sometimes people fail to make much impact on their problems because they attempt to do battle with the surface thoughts rather than the more damaging assumptions and implications behind them. This is a bit like trying to control a cholera epidemic without paying attention to the cracked sewerage system and polluted water supply.

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Dinah is preparing a birthday party for her son Luke. She takes the cake out of the oven to find that it has risen unevenly and feels a wave of panic sweep over her while the negative thought plays through her mind: ‘Oh my god! Now everything’s ruined!’ She could, of course, use the techniques ...

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