end anger & frustration with 5 socratic questions

The purpose of this exercise from The ALKISTIS Method is to help you to question, examine and ultimately to improve thoughts/beliefs that are shaping your perspective and your life, especially where you are experiencing anger and frustration.

TITLE: The Truth Shall Set You Free with 5 Socratic-Type Questions (Maieutics)

Bring to mind, a particular THOUGHT-BELIEF that regularly worries, distresses or angers you, regarding your personal or professional life.

Write down this exact thought and describe it in a sentence or statement. It is something you presently believe about a person or situation. In other words, make a statement about it explaining what you think, feel or experience.  It could begin something like this:  “I feel horrible about…” or “I feel angry… because….” or “ I am really frustrated….”
Example: “I am very angry at Christoff because he shamed me about my work in front of other colleagues. He told me that it wasn’t good enough to be presented at the conference.”
Write your THOUGHT-BELIEF (on a piece of paper or on your computer):
1. Now ask yourself the Socratic Question:
‘Is this THOUGHT-BELIEF True 100% ? (Yes or No)
If the answer is ‘Yes’100 %- Notice how you think, feel & act when you believe that thought to be true. If the answer is ‘No’....then give it a % of Truth. Write that here:__________%
2. Now pass your THOUGHT/BELIEF through the  ‘TEST OF DISTORTION’: Be honest, are you dramatizing, generalizing, over-personalizing?
Now Summarize:
“After TEST OF DISTORTION, the ‘original’ THOUGHT-BELIEF is  ______% True”

3. IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT that you were an advocate for the OPPOSITE side: For example give evidence against your original THOUGHT-BELIEF. Give proof and arguments from the perspective that your (ORIGINAL) THOUGHT-BELIEF is not true. Are there circumstances when this thought did not or does apply? Be brutally honest about it. Now, has the context changed? Is it still 100 % true or partly true? This diagram may assist you in this process on showing how perspective affects our view of truth: What do you see here, an old lady (facing forward), or a young lady (facing to the back)

4. Who would you be without that thought ? How would your life be different?

5. How would rephrase, change or modify the original thought, so that it is more objective (steeped in logos and ‘positive’ pathos) and can give you more positive results ? Can you redefine or rephrase or change it into an empowering  statement?
Write this new statement down and read it often. If you like repeat the whole exercise several time until, it really begins to 'sink-in' that you are FREE, and have embraced a new reality.
 
TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE...& leave your comment below.
Alkistis
PS.For more such exercises: The ALKISTIS Method E-Learning Academy.