Tag Archives: making choices

Reality Check: Optimism or Pessimism: Can you choose?

If pessimism has a hold on you, the idea that you can choose optimism instead won’t sound very realistic. What is optimism, anyway? Reality therapy says that behaviour has four aspects: thinking, feeling, action, and physiological effects. You can “feel … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Not Every Battle

When Marie met Darcy, she immediately fell in love with his kind heart. Darcy never said no to any good cause, and as there are plenty of good causes, his practical skills and good nature kept him in high demand. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Worry Stoppers

“It is within your power to feel better.” That’s according to Dr. Bob Wubbolding, in “A Set of Directions for Putting and Keeping Yourself Together.” How much power do you have over your feelings? In choice theory, we say that … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Behaviour of Worrying

Whether it’s a significant fear or just a twinge of uneasiness, most folks experience the state of “being worried” from time to time. A variety of actions and thoughts come along for the ride when our main behaviour is worrying. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Purpose and Power

It’s easy to mistake the “power need” that’s identified in reality therapy for something negative. People who want to lead lives filled with good relationships might perceive that they have no need for power; that is, they don’t need or … Continue reading

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Reality Check: At the mercy of events?

Whether you are on the search for your first job or your fifteenth, during the job-hunt process, you’ll likely experience both encouraging and disheartening events. Those events can trigger feelings: excitement and optimism after a good interview; distress and discouragement … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Effective Living in a Material World

Karen, introduced last column, has bones to pick with society and its emphasis on materialism. At the drop of a hat (or shopping bag) Karen can launch into a tirade. Her theme: “We are bombarded with high pressure sales; credit … Continue reading

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Reality Check: “Keys” to Self-Evaluation

Elise has the unfortunate habit of misplacing her keys. Over the years, she has been late for important meetings, she’s held up family outings, and she’s wasted countless hours searching. Her key-losing behaviour even contributed to missing a chance for … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Resilient Children; Resilient Adults

When things are going well in our lives, it’s easy to feel satisfied, to view ourselves as being effective, and to build good relationships with people. However, at some point, every one of us will experience a setback, a disappointment, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Recognizing the Freedom to Choose

Once upon a time, Emma and William had a great relationship. Then, Emma decided she wanted to marry William, but William was reluctant to comply. Does the need for  freedom have an impact here? Emma doesn’t think she’s seeking freedom; … Continue reading

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