Ep 2. | Stop forecasting, you’re not a meteorologist.
In this episode we discuss two interconnected New Adages: “Stop forecasting, you’re not a meteorologist” and “Response-ability” and Karen talks about how to find a peak moment in a not-so-peak situation.
EPISODE NOTES
Stop forecasting, you’re not a meteorologist.
Forecasting is typically used with regards to predicting the weather. Karen uses it a little differently. This adage was connected to work Karen did with clients who were dating but applies in lots of different areas of life – from dating to big decisions like having a baby to hypochondria to every day conversations.
Remember, forecasting is not a science and there is a large margin of error. When you forecast you generally forecast the worst outcome and you waste energy scaring yourself. And in the worst cases you limit yourself and lose out on something or someone great.
Response-ability
The word RESPONSIBILITY can be confusing. Most of us look at it as kind of a negative. We see it as something that we have to do, an obligation — heavy and serious. We NEED to be responsible, we HAVE take care of things, people, tasks, etc. It feels like a weight on our backs and our minds.
Here’s another way to define responsibility: THE ABILITY TO RESPOND.
Whenever something happens to us, either expected or out of the blue, we always have the ability to respond. So don’t think of responsibility as “taking on something”, think of it as “responding to something”.
We always have choices and we can take a minute to look over our options and decide how to respond. (That decision is not only the ACTION we take, but how we choose to FEEL about it.)
First and foremost, don’t spend too much time forecasting and expecting terrible things to happen. You’ll then emotionally live through it when most of the time it never happens. That is really not very smart, because you are suffering needlessly!
When something does happen, accept that maybe there isn’t anything you can do about it. If you CAN do something about it, the time to respond is right THEN! Figure out what you need to do about it and address it and move on.
Think about this definition of responsibility and replace the old notion with the new!
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Natalie recommends: Dr. Brene Brown on Joy: It’s Terrifying | SuperSoul Sunday
Natalie says if you like that you’ll love: Brene Brown, the Call to Courage on Netflix
Karen recommends Psychotherapy Networker Nov/Dec 2018: A new generation of clients:
We also talk about: If you give a mouse a cookie
The Kindred Conversation resources
Book | The New Adages, Volume 1
Audio book | The New Adages, Volume 1
The Kindred Conversation Website | Read all of the New Adages online
The Kindred Conversation App on iTunes
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Contact | podcast@thekindredconversation.com
The Kindred Conversation
Karen Kindred, LCSW
Natalie House
Produced by: Leanna House
Music: Helsinki by Pleasant Pictures Music Club