Self discipline

**Posts:** 2821 · by **Roger Elliott** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 6:32 pm

There is an old story about a man who went to a tattooist because he had always wanted a tattoo of a lion on his back.

The tattooist started to sketch the tail into the man’s torso: ‘Ouch! What are you doing?’ asked the man. ‘I’m doing the lion’s tail’ replied the tattooist. ‘Well then for goodness sake let’s have a lion without a tail!’ said the man, wincing in pain.

Next the artist set about on the Lion’s whiskers. ‘Ouch!’ cried the man, ‘What’s that?’ ‘The whiskers!’ said the tatooist, getting increasingly irritated. ‘Well let’s have a lion without whiskers!’ moaned his customer.

The tattooist then set about doing the Lion’s back. ‘No that hurts too!’ shouted the man. At this, the tattooist finally lost patience. Throwing down his tools and the man out of his shop he shouted...

Read more...
http://www.uncommon-knowledge.co.uk/sel ... pline.html

(From this month's Clear Thinking newsletter from Uncommon Knowledge)

**Posts:** 299 · by **Jill Wootton** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 6:55 pm

Great article that reminded me of a client I saw earlier today.

Saw M about 7 weeks ago, he came because he was suffering from debilitating depression, signed off from work, exhausted, anxious, tearful and no enthusiasm for anything. He spent his days sleeping late, avoiding friends calls and visits, and had stopped his involvement in all the things that had bought him so much pleasure in the past.

When I first talked to him about depression being a pattern and to break that pattern down he needed to get up in the morning, practise the relaxation techniques, take a small walk every day and call one friend, he said it felt like I was asking him to climb a mountain.

However he did just that in spite of it taking every 'ounce of effort that I could muster' he slowly was able to get back to seeing the odd friend and doing the woodwork that he so loved.

All of that 'digging deep' finding resources that he didn't know that he had have resulted in M starting back to work this week and feeling '95% better.

Like that film of the mountain climber who got stranded, one step at a time and you soon cover the miles!!

Jill

**Posts:** 116 · by **tagfat** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 8:59 am

There are quite a few people to whom doing somthing which is counter to your present mood or emotional state seems quite strange. Im shure they sometime do it out of nessesity, but actually choosing to do that for your own bennefit seems novel to them. No doubt that is often something connected to growing up in a invalidating enviroment and a vulnerability to emotional invalidation.

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