* Are you thinking clearly and positively and with high regard for yourself?
    * Are your thoughts, moment to moment, supporting you to live your dream?
    * Do you have some nagging self-doubts or negative thinking than hinders you?

    Read the following list of cognitive distortions, distorted thinking, negative perspectives. Notice how many of these types of thoughts enter your mind, frequently, sometimes, or even occasionally, and interfere with clarity, purpose and connection with others.

    1. FOCUS ON NEGATIVE: Do you focus on negative information and somehow overlook positive feedback?

    2. SHOULDS: Do you have the habit of “shoulding on yourself,” punishing yourself with lots of rules about how you should and others should act?

    3. ALL OR NONE LABELING: Do you generalize one or two qualities or behaviors into a global judgment of yourself or others? For example, if you make a mistake or don’t follow through or upset someone, do you label yourself “a loser,” “a failure,” or a “bad person.”

    4. GENERALIZING TO ALL SITUATIONS: Do you react to the events of one circumstance and reach a general conclusion about all future circumstances? For example, if you make a mistake, do you assume you will never be able to do this and just give up?

    5. BLAMING: Do you tend to look outside of yourself and seek to make other people or circumstances responsible for your problems or lack of success?

    6. TAKE IT PERSONALLY: Do you think everything other people say and do is because of you, a reaction to you, or an attitude specifically toward and about you?

    7. CONTOLLED BY OTHERS: Do you feel that you are controlled by others, by circumstances beyond your control, and that you are a helpless victim?

    8. YOU ARE IN CONTROL: Do you feel that you are always responsible for other people’s pain or joy or for all the circumstances that befall you?

    9. RULED BY YOUR EMOTIONS: Do you let your emotions determine what you think about yourself or others? For example, if you feel insecure or inadequate in one situation, do you think you must be stupid, boring, a loser, unsuccessful?

    10. YOU ARE ENTITLED: Do you feel “entitled” and “expect” to get what you want because of who you are or because of how hard you have worked or because you have sacrificed or denied your own needs?

    11. OTHERS MUST CHANGE: Do you demand and expect that other people need to change to suit your needs and to make you happy? Do you sometimes try to manipulate others to change to please you?

    12. YOU ARE RIGHT: Do you find yourself continually “proving” that your opinion, your idea, your judgements and your actions are “right” and the other person is therefore “wrong?”

    13. YOU KNOW WHAT OTHERS FEEL: Do you think you “know” what others are thinking and feeling with no facts or no verification from them? Do you interpret things negatively or positively before checking it out?

    14. CATASTROPHIZING: Do you expect the worst and exaggerate the difficulties? Do you fill your mind with “what ifs,” what if I never succeed, what if he/she leaves me, what if…?

    15. DISCOUNT YOUR OWN SUCCESS: Do you discount or reject positive experiences, personal successes or the value of your own unique skills? If you a good at doing something, do you tell yourself “anyone could do that”?

    How many of these self-limiting thoughts do you still focus on in your daily life? How many of these thoughts have you transformed into a more positive, success oriented and healing perspective? Please share your comment in the box below.

    Here’s to living the life of your dreams, filled with love, passion and compassion, especially for yourself, every single day.

    Schedule a counseling or coaching session at DrEricaWellness.com

    Warmly,

    Dr. Erica

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