Sometimes things don't go our way. We can become irritable, even angry. It shouldn't be like this, I shouldn't have to put up with this, I can't stand it. I deserve better. Albert Ellis, who established Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy called this "I can't stand it syndrome".
But every day we find obstacles to getting what we want. Other people or events interfere with what we want to do. We get caught in traffic, put on hold, stuck in the longest queue at the supermarket. Despite this daily evidence that things always go our way, some of us still feel that our demands must be met and we get frustrated, resentful. We might lash out, feeling better for a brief moment only to build up problems for the future.
The demand that things should go your way all the time is unrealistic. So you will always be thwarted from time to time whatever good efforts you have put in. Well, you might say, I won't bother trying then. But that isn't an answer. We have to put in the effort to achieve our goals. Like persisting with the driving lessons, even when you feel you are getting worse not better. Because you want to be able to drive.
So, instead of feeling stressed out and frustrated, what can you do?
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