So, the day before my birthday, someone mistakes my car for fresh air (I really must stop taking those invisibility pills!) and reverses into her, writing her off. My passenger said she thought I was going to cry when I saw the damage, but then I pulled myself together and asked for the guy’s details. (bless him, he was really shaken!) The interesting thing is that I was aware of the thoughts that made me want to cry, and then the ‘pull yourself together’ thoughts.
My first thoughts were “oh my god, look at the damage, the insurance company will write it off and I’ll get about £100!!! Shit. And it’s my birthday tomorrow. Happy sodding birthday to me. And it’s Christmas. And I’ve got no spare money at the moment to buy a new car. WhatamIgonnado” – you can see why I was starting to get tearful, yes?! The pull yourself together thoughts were “oh well, accidents happen. maybe my mechanic will be able to fix it. let’s get the details and get on with shopping!”
And there lies the difference between a terrible experience and a better experience – the thoughts you think about the event. Ultimately it’s not something I would have chosen, but it happened – and now I get to get a new car so it’s not all bad! (my mechanic can’t fix it – well, he could, but it wouldn’t be worth it!) So the next time something ‘bad’ happens to you, notice what thoughts you are thinking and whether they are leading you to despair or solutions…and perhaps you can consciously change the thoughts to make your experience better?
Love
Donna.x
PS and I had a nice birthday in the end, even though I was housebound without a car! Oh, and if you know anyone who’s selling a car, let me know!