Page 32 - August 2019

FIELD NOTES

Astute Better Coping

B. Lucky Coyne, ATMS

As summer draws down we hear the echoes of life also works that way. Call it “deja vu!”
school bells ringing for that younger set. Yet we
adults are hardly done with mastering some new SPINNING TWINNING

lessons in life. This exercise is custom made for those with
Yes, life is all about coping. That is the self esteem problems. It’s an alternate role play
ongoing journey ahead. No, we cannot afford game.
to endlessly mark time and retreat from reality. Instead of chronic suffering, let’s opt to

Drawing upon thirty years in doing professional pretend we are now twins. One twin is stronger
counseling, I devote this column to the abc’s of and the other far weaker. If you play the stronger
Astute Better Coping. Its all about us navigating one, what would you be saying to motivate the
every day existence. weaker? You have achieved empowerment.

Here I share four very original techniques Kudos.
to get unstuck.
THE ICON QUEST
KNAPSACK OF THE PAST We all have weak points. None can deny that

Imagine you have a heavy knapsack weighing truth. For some it may be a horrid temper. How
you down. Inside you find stones. Each represents do you find a way to do self-rehab and become
some past major setback. Your job first is to less agitated by little things?
identify these stones and then to line them up

from lightest to the heaviest one. The answer: Hunt down icons from among
For many it’s an initial peek at the total past. your friends. Play the role of reporter and learn
Where to begin for unloading these burdens their valuable trade secrets. Then gradually try
shall be our road to the future. out what you’ve gathered. This kind of plagiarism

is permissable.
THE KALEIDOSCOPE CODE You definitely can teach that old dog some
Here is yet another analogy. Every kaleidoscope helpful new tricks but stay not leashed to routines
consists of colorful glass fragments. They that fail to serve you well.

symbolize life’s experiences. As the scope turns,
items from the front recede to the background. Free up your dogma!
And other fragments, perhaps long forgotten,
suddenly resurface in frontal view. Our actual

32 ONE COMMUNITY