For example, your 21year-old daughter takes her first trip to New Orleans with a group of her friends. She is excited. When she tells you about this trip, your imagination swings into action creating every possible horrible, negative image ending in disaster, rape, abduction, injury and death. While she is gone, there is hardly a thought about her that does not include at least a portion of a possible negative event occurring in her life at that moment. When she returns safely and recounts all the fun that she had, you are relieved she made it back safely, but her trip was miserable for you. That is Negative Anticipation.
The same kind of scenario can happen daily, before you even get out of bed. You wake and soon are seeing images of terrible things that COULD happen to you that day. Immediate events can block out the negative thoughts, but as soon as you give them a small opportunity they are running wild again. The "What ifs" take over. This is Negative Anticipation. The following ridiculous sounding story will illustrate how Negative Imagery intrudes into one's thinking.
You wake refreshed after a great night's sleep. You get out of bed and think immediately about the trip you are making to Chicago and feel somewhat excited and happy about it. You are scheduled to leave at 10:00AM for the airport. You have a 12:00PM flight. The trip is intended to be a happy gathering with close friends for their child's wedding. You will be a guest and have no part in the wedding.
The thought "crosses your mind" ...the car might not crank...that would make me be late...what if I get into a accident on the wait to the airport... and am injured...I will not be able to make it...what if I am in the hospital...my friends find out...it spoils their wedding...If I was killed would they come to my funeral...what would I be buried in...my poor mother would be devastated....I hope she doesn't get sick while I'm gone...what if I got a call that she had died...I would fly home...that would be terrible...My clothes, oh I hope the airline does not lose my luggage...Wouldn't that be something to arrive at the airport and my clothes don't get there until three days form now... after the wedding has already taken place...What if I have trouble at the gate...they profile me or hold me for some reason...take me into the back room... interrogate me about something they think I am involved in...I miss the weeding completely.
Oh My God! On and on and on. I know this is almost normal for some of you. This is the way you live your life. You accept these fear producing thoughts as a given. That's just the way you are, you think. There is nothing you can do about it. Not. There is something you can do about it.
