The Promise

CHAPTER 3

Those trying feelings

“The best way out is through.” ROBERT FROST

In the first two chapters our aim was to change the way we think about uncomfortable circumstances. In this chapter, we’ll be looking to change the way we think about uncomfortable feelings.

Sometime fairly early in life, most of us developed the notion that it somehow isn’t OK to experience uncomfortable feelings.

If we’re feeling sad, depressed, lonely,hurt, anxious, rejected, fearful orembarrassed and we’re wishing weweren’t feeling that way or thinking we‘shouldn’t’ be feeling that way (which ishow most of us have learned to think),we’re unwittingly involved in a highlyunproductive way of thinking.

This perfectly normal but hugely unhelpful way of thinking ...