“Anything can happen, child. ANYTHING can be.”

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN’TS

Shel Silverstein

“Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,
Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT’S
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be”

The inverse is true too!

In fact, one of the first Cognitive Distortions that this shame-indoctrinated addict with Bipolar Disorder learned to confront was the “Tyranny of the Shoulds.”

Between the perfectionism that had been drilled into me growing up, my mental rigidity, and the black and white thinking of Bipolar Disorder, I was frequently immiserated by the Tyrant Should.

Relentless and unwavering, this cruel sovereign informed and commanded nearly all of my major choices and actions. I was his slave.

But no more! Learning to use Cognitive Behavioral to consistently challenge thoughts in which he was embedded, I found freedom from intellectual shackles and suffering at last.

What a gift!

So, in the face of the “Tyranny of the Shouldn’ts or the Shoulds,” remember that, as George Bush once infamously said, “You are the Decider.”

“Anything can happen, child. ANYTHING can be.”