Preventing Anger By Controlling Negative Thoughts

People looking for jobs will tell you the heaviest thing in the world is the telephone when you must use it to call potential employers. It is heavy because a job seeker usually projects negative thoughts onto the person she's about to call. Instead of asking herself "What must I do in this situation?" she'll say things such as, "She probably wont take my call," or "He'll say they don't have any openings," and so on. Negative thoughts lay the groundwork for anger if the person with whom you are interacting shows even the slightest tendency to fulfill your negative projection.

A better approach is to prepare for the worst. Write it down if it helps. For instance. "What must I do if. . ."

• He won't take my call.

• She says they have no openings now.

• He says I'm overqualified (or under qualified).

• She says, "Send me a resume."

If you are prepared. you cannot get angry; you can only say, "I did my best; I’ll do better next time."

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