Frank's Example
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Last week I went with my sister to help her register people for a conference. Part of the time I was to write down their names as they registered. At one point I wrote my name instead of the person registering. This is when I began to work myself up. I felt embarrassed. I started to worry that I had made a huge mistake and the thought came that maybe the police would come after me. I felt tense and had the impulse to call my mom. Suddenly it came to me that I could practice Recovery. I spotted that it is average to make mistakes. The thoughts are distressing but not dangerous. I could have the will to bear the discomfort. I endorsed. Before Recovery, I would have talked and talked about the mistake. I might have worked myself up so much that I would have made myself sick. I have been hospitalized several times. Today I live in a residential home. Further Spotting! Joe -- Frank has shown how past practice has helped him spot quickly now and handle his fearful temper. It's by dropping his fearful temper that he can relax and not work himself up. Sally -- I spot the courage to make a mistake. Frank can have the courage to make a mistake and he knows that it is average to make mistakes. So he can also spot that, "he's not wrong, he's average". Dean -- I like that he spotted that his thoughts are distressing but not dangerous and so he didn't make them into an emergency. Brian -- I like the simplicity of this example and also that Frank endorsed himself. He knows that we endorse for our effort. A lot of this practice takes courage and effort. What does that mean? spotted -- Frank was able to stop and recognize (spot) that it is average to make a mistake. endorsed -- Frank gave himself credit for the effort he made. fearful temper -- When Frank said he felt embarrassed he was having fearful temper. It is when we judge ourselves as being "wrong" in going about and doing things in daily life. It expresses itself as embarrassment, self disgust, self pity, etc.
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