Cognitive distortion and restructuring.

[inavalan]

Originally Posted by SheShatters

Have you ever thought about your thoughts? I mean, have you actually ever paid attention to the thoughts inside your head? If you have, then have you ever questioned how you are thinking about things, and whether or not these thoughts are actually helping or hindering you? Possibly how you’re seeing and interpreting your world isn’t very accurate at all. Just maybe your perspective of the world is somewhat flawed and this is preventing you from moving forward in an optimal way. These flaws in our thinking are known as cognitive distortions or thinking errors.



https://iqdoodle.com/cognitive-distortions/

Actually, you create your "world', so there is no such thing as

how you’re seeing and interpreting your world isn’t very accurate at all

Consequently, if you have the impression that

your perspective of the world is somewhat flawed and this is preventing you from moving forward in an optimal way

you need to work on your limiting beliefs, and create better.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

I would LOVE to know/learn how to change my thinking... seriously!

Meanwhile, I am given the label of being a "scizophrenic" because I am fully aware of all the scams and tricks that companies use to rob people blind and I would LOVE to be able to change my thinking so I don't even question re motives of those who control the way I live..like everybody ELSE does!... also dear people, I don't WANT to be Spiritual, but I wasn't given any say/choice in that regard either....I was dragged kicking and screaming into Ascension...so, how do all of the other "Spiritual people" deal with such unholy, satanic things..all the while realising that you need Satan to eat, have power and water...to survive in this world?

Looking forward to having some answers... finally.

Sorry to hear about your issues, I mean it.

What might be helpful is to look at issues other people are faced with. Look at the ones that when an issue occurs, they are able to manage to get thru the situation. Have you ever noticed, some people have greater issues then you have but other people are generally unaware what is going on? Those people have learned how to handle issues.

I was at a store Saturday when the store owner's child developed a medical emergency. During this emergency. the small store stayed open. Th owner called 911 and told the operator he needed an ambulance and gave the operator the child's serious medical history. He was calm and polite to the operator. The fire fighters showed up and took an initial evaluation of the child. Shortly afterwards, the ambulance arrived and took the child to the hospital. Virtually none of the customers in the store were aware that a serious medical situation existed. The owner gave no indication such a situation existed. Why I became aware of what was going on is I am a close friend.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Sorry to hear about your issues, I mean it.

What might be helpful is to look at issues other people are faced with. Look at the ones that when an issue occurs, they are able to manage to get thru the situation. Have you ever noticed, some people have greater issues then you have but other people are generally unaware what is going on? Those people have learned how to handle issues.

I was at a store Saturday when the store owner's child developed a medical emergency. During this emergency. the small store stayed open. Th owner called 911 and told the operator he needed an ambulance and gave the operator the child's serious medical history. He was calm and polite to the operator. The fire fighters showed up and took an initial evaluation of the child. Shortly afterwards, the ambulance arrived and took the child to the hospital. Virtually none of the customers in the store were aware that a serious medical situation existed. The owner gave no indication such a situation existed. Why I became aware of what was going on is I am a close friend.

Thanks John and also, a huge thank you for sharing that story.

I guess that my situation arises from being an "elder" - as we both are...recalling a time when personal service and understanding was placed before what a computer program said or tells people what to do...I can only WISH for ignorance my friend...to not know what is going on so that I can handle such things.

The whole issue arose because an "automated system" was telling a service provider that I was not meeting my regular payments and an "automated system" cancelled my direct debits even though I was in credit and now, an "automated system" is contacting me every three hours with instructions on how to make manual payments into my electricity account.

Going back some 20 or 30 years ago, the service provider would be able to see the credit..the unblemished record for the past 4 years and make the necessary adjustments on their end...well, I tried that today and got "sorry, but our computerised system doesn't have any allowances for that...you need to do what the computer says and the computer says you need to increase your deductions by $10 a fortnight".

So, this is the future eh? Artificial Intelligence controlling our lives... artificial intelligence which can only understand binary code...either you have complied or you have not...forget any reasons or excuses WHY you have not because the computer doesn't understand and neither does the debt collectors who believe it is their God given right to come across all "Judge Judy" like, when due to a computer malfunction, your bill is now orbiting Nibiru...but computers can NEVER be wrong nowdays isn't it?

The problem I have with changing the way I think, is that everything happens just to keep on reinforcing all the old patterns and keeps me stuck there, no matter how much I want to change...it just becomes "yeah, typical...what was I thinking expecting things would ever be any different?" and so yeah, how long after you change your thoughts does the universe get the message and stops testing you? Maybe...just maybe I am dealing with a negative energy parasite here and I am at a total loss as to how to get rid of it short of a full-on exorcism...however, not being a Christian, I doubt that will work also..because I have considered it.

[Shivani Devi]

If there is any consolation here at ALL, it comes from me wondering why it is that all calls relating to complaints and debt recovery associated with utility companies are all outsourced to offshore call centres in India and Bangladesh who basically have to learn English just to parrot the terms and conditions as outlined in the companies guidelines.

It is because there is NO money that will ever entice an Aussie to do that job..a million dollars a week won't be enough to deal with all the customer abuse....however, $50 a week will keep an Indian family fed and clothed for a month...it becomes a matter of survival and being told to "eff off" a thousand times a day is just par for the course..just part of the "job description".

I mean, I gave the Indian girl an earful when I said "my bill is only ONE WEEK overdue! Phone me again when it is a month overdue or eff off.."

To whit and which she said "it isn't the companies fault that you breached the contract".

Oh well, she has to earn her bowl of rice somehow, isn't it?

My Higher Self said there is only one way out of this...to give regular amounts to charity. If the universe is seeing that you are willing to give your money away, it won't hound you for it and will give you a much easier ride...so much for "karma yoga" because I will only be helping others for what I can get out of it...the question arises, is it better not to do any donation or service at all IF I am merely performing it for selfish ends..i.e to get "good karma"?

I asked my Higher Self this question and I got told that it is much better to do something than to do nothing, no matter what the motivation is. Ideally, actions should be performed out of the goodness of one's heart, but often, that only comes as a result of doing something with an agenda first.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

Thanks John and also, a huge thank you for sharing that story.

I guess that my situation arises from being an "elder" - as we both are...recalling a time when personal service and understanding was placed before what a computer program said or tells people what to do...I can only WISH for ignorance my friend...to not know what is going on so that I can handle such things.

The whole issue arose because an "automated system" was telling a service provider that I was not meeting my regular payments and an "automated system" cancelled my direct debits even though I was in credit and now, an "automated system" is contacting me every three hours with instructions on how to make manual payments into my electricity account.

Going back some 20 or 30 years ago, the service provider would be able to see the credit..the unblemished record for the past 4 years and make the necessary adjustments on their end...well, I tried that today and got "sorry, but our computerised system doesn't have any allowances for that...you need to do what the computer says and the computer says you need to increase your deductions by $10 a fortnight".

So, this is the future eh? Artificial Intelligence controlling our lives... artificial intelligence which can only understand binary code...either you have complied or you have not...forget any reasons or excuses WHY you have not because the computer doesn't understand and neither does the debt collectors who believe it is their God given right to come across all "Judge Judy" like, when due to a computer malfunction, your bill is now orbiting Nibiru...but computers can NEVER be wrong nowdays isn't it?

The problem I have with changing the way I think, is that everything happens just to keep on reinforcing all the old patterns and keeps me stuck there, no matter how much I want to change...it just becomes "yeah, typical...what was I thinking expecting things would ever be any different?" and so yeah, how long after you change your thoughts does the universe get the message and stops testing you? Maybe...just maybe I am dealing with a negative energy parasite here and I am at a total loss as to how to get rid of it short of a full-on exorcism...however, not being a Christian, I doubt that will work also..because I have considered it.

I had a situation like yours with a large company. One day the same chap called me and I told him if he ever called again, "All hell will break out". 'Stupid' called the next day and I told him what I had said the previous day and hung up. This person was calling from a place about 2500 miles away. It looked like I had no recourse. What I did was I went down to the court house to file an injunction of harassment against the person. The clerk refused to pursue it. I told her it would be accepted by the judge. Eventually she accepted my arguments and I went before the judge and it was accepted. The company that he worked for had a local office. He got served thru that office.

Another company was doing the same thing. The one calling was the General Manager. He got served. His layer sent me legal papers claiming they were going to take me to court. His lawyer made it look like the process had already been started in the court system. I went down to the court and found out he was bluffing. They never filed the papers. I demanded the papers to be filed which caused the chap to hire a lawyer to represent himself in court. We went to court. I guess he learned his lesson. He 'lost' that job.

My mortgage company was constantly ripping me off. Each time I caught them, I would notify them in writing of the problem and when they refused to correct the problem, I would take them to small court. I would win the case plus I would receive something like $150.00 per hour for my time in writing the letters.

If I were you, I would see if you can file an injunction of harassment against the utility or possibly file a small claims lawsuit.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

I had a situation like yours with a large company. One day the same chap called me and I told him if he ever called again, "All hell will break out". 'Stupid' called the next day and I told him what I had said the previous day and hung up. This person was calling from a place about 2500 miles away. It looked like I had no recourse. What I did was I went down to the court house to file an injunction of harassment against the person. The clerk refused to pursue it. I told her it would be accepted by the judge. Eventually she accepted my arguments and I went before the judge and it was accepted. The company that he worked for had a local office. He got served thru that office.

Another company was doing the same thing. The one calling was the General Manager. He got served. His layer sent me legal papers claiming they were going to take me to court. His lawyer made it look like the process had already been started in the court system. I went down to the court and found out he was bluffing. They never filed the papers. I demanded the papers to be filed which caused the chap to hire a lawyer to represent himself in court. We went to court. I guess he learned his lesson. He 'lost' that job.

My mortgage company was constantly ripping me off. Each time I caught them, I would notify them in writing of the problem and when they refused to correct the problem, I would take them to small court. I would win the case plus I would receive something like $150.00 per hour for my time in writing the letters.

If I were you, I would see if you can file an injunction of harassment against the utility or possibly file a small claims lawsuit.

Thanks again, John.

Here in Australia, the process is a bit different. Before anything can go to court, it must be presented before an ombudsman first ....that's why the government created them.

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/trans...dsman-nsw-ewon

I am looking into this right now..

I shall go to the Salvation Army who can approach the ombudsman on my behalf...they have helped me previously, about 10 years ago, with electricity vouchers and a fair payment system.

I mean, it won't stop the fact that I will ultimately need to pay $60 a fortnight as per the legal contract, but it will stop the harassment when a larger advocating force gets involved...they may also be able to locate that missing money.

I do believe, as rightly said, that certain things are just beyond our individual attempts to rectify and we need to get others involved who are experienced with these situations...people who have more political sway... especially when I say that these problems are acting as triggers for my diagnosed mental illness.

So, tomorrow I will make an appointment to go and see the church social worker and try to ignore the blatant hypocrisy. LOL

Originally Posted by SheShatters

A thinking error and an error of thinking are the same thing, are they not? Cognitive error is not simply a different perspective. You can think 2 + 3 = 6 as well as 3 + 2 = 6 but you would be equally wrong.

Not true. Reversing the logic doesn't always work. Because all apples are fruit doesn't mean that all fruit are apples, and while it's rare, I have to agree with Joytir. If 3 and 2 happen to mark events, no matter what the whole adds up to, you could end up with the second event a time-period wrong.
An error in how you think about the target isn't necessarily the same as thinking about the wrong target. That's why syntax is important in language. Sometimes things can be assumed, sometimes not.

I often think of what you regard as cognitive distortion is really an expansion of consciousness if you can recognise it during or immed. afterwards. It's this effect that make dyslexic people excellent code-breakers and the like. They see the signs differently. There's no problem if the people concerned are aware.


..

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by SheShatters

Have you ever thought about your thoughts? I mean, have you actually ever paid attention to the thoughts inside your head? If you have, then have you ever questioned how you are thinking about things, and whether or not these thoughts are actually helping or hindering you? Possibly how you’re seeing and interpreting your world isn’t very accurate at all. Just maybe your perspective of the world is somewhat flawed and this is preventing you from moving forward in an optimal way. These flaws in our thinking are known as cognitive distortions or thinking errors.



https://iqdoodle.com/cognitive-distortions/

I have yep.

I let my thoughts take me deeper into my whole body, if they insist on my attention. My awareness understands ‘now’ -I’m not my thoughts, so they often in their ‘story’ mode just become a distraction that simply requires me to let them go. Not through force but mindful presence in me deeper. Thoughts can be great catalyst of understanding and learning what moves in you deeper, what you can release deeper.

Depending on what you wish to learn and understand of course.


I did some retraining of thoughts over two years, that was more about overcoming self sabotage..