There seems to be a common theme in my clients recently, regardless of the presenting issue, they all have this incredible ability to predict the future. Now, the prediction isn’t accurate, but still they believe the garbage they think. For instance, one client took a leap that went from eating a cookie to becoming a homeless bag lady. How, you ask? Well, she is looking for another job as she knows that her company is about to be acquired by a bigger corporation. We have been working together on her weight issues. As a stress eater, she gave in to the siren call of a cookie, so now she knows she will never drop the weight and no one will ever hire her as a result of her perception of her appearance. (A skewed perception I might add as she is lovely.) Another client announced in our first visit that his life was doomed to be loveless as he and his wife were stuck in a rut and he had no way of recovering the love they once shared. Still another shared with me her prediction of divorce because her husband still smoked after she quit! So many negative thoughts!
The litany of doomsday projections goes on and on. To be truthful, I have done the same thing. I saw one particular health symptom as the evidence I needed to prove that something much darker was going on in my body. Fortunately, I took action and visited the appropriate health professional to find out that wikapedia is not my best friend! I fell into the same trap as my clients and went as fast as I could down the negative expressway.
