When a sort of non-triviality happens

In Recovery International, we talk mainly about the everyday events that upset us and give us nervous symptoms. In RI terminology, theses events are considered "trivialities." For example, if my boss tells me I need to work overtime, if a clerk at the store is rude to me, if I have to wait a long time on hold while making a phone call, these are all considered trivialities. Most things that happen to us each day are trivial, according the the RI Web site: http://www.recovery-inc.org/system/recovery-international-language.asp. And depending on what meeting you attend, you could give an example on the trivial aspects of a non-triviality. So if you're involved in a divorce, you may give an example on being nervous over opening a letter you've received from your attorney, or if you have a medical problem, you could give an example about waiting for a prescription. At some meetings, the leader might let you give an example about waiting for the results of a routine blood test, although here you might be on shaky ground about whether this is a triviality. And I believe that you can always use the principles of RI in every situation in life to act in a calm, reflective manner and avoid panic. Even in an emergency, it helps if you avoid panicking.

My entire point in discussing this is because last week my DH and I visited the doctor to see about having a second child and the doctor told us I might be too old based on a blood test I took last year. Naturally, I was upset about this and cried a bit. Today, I took the blood test again and now have to wait a day or two for the results. So I have some anxiety over waiting, but RI gives us the tool that we can wait with reflective calm. So instead of obsessing over what the result might be and checking my insurance's web site every hour to see if the results have been posted, I'm changing my thoughts from insecure thoughts (such as, "I know it's going to be bad") to the secure thought (that I really don't know what the future will be - in RI we would say, "to know is not to know").

If you're new to RI or have just come across this post randomly but are intrigued by the idea that you can change your thoughts and deal with the problems of daily life without going completely nuts, I'd suggest visiting the Recovery International web site, which is at http://www.recovery-inc.org/.

Comments

  1. Cliff BrownJuly 25, 2009 at 11:46 PM

    High average post. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  2. DougJuly 26, 2009 at 8:32 AM

    Thanks for sharing that personal example. Did you endorse for replacing those thoughts? This certainly isn't a triviality but you approached it as Dr. Low would recommend. Remember, he said we can't be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation--that would be exceptional. And it sounds like you'll trust the physician's authority, which Dr. Low would applaud.

    ReplyDelete
  3. nervousgirlJuly 28, 2009 at 4:45 PM

    I did endorse for changing my thoughts, but I'm not so sure about accepting the doctor's authority. I really feel that a second opinion is warranted, as I've found research that contradicts what this doctor told me. That doesn't mean I'll run to 100 doctors, but I do want another perspective on the problem.

    ReplyDelete

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