Mind Games

By Joan Leslie Woodruff

Reviewed by Deborah Fox, News-Bulletin Staff Writer, Valencia County News-Bulletin:

"Increasing the level of contentment in your life is simple science, says counselor and author Joan Leslie Woodruff, and her new book, Mind Games, published by AuthorHouse, will show you how ... Woodruff is a local author who has written seven books of fiction and one nonfiction, MIND GAMES. Her book, GHOST in the RAINBOW is currently in negotiations for film rights, and she anticipates the movie will be filmed locally."

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477282304

Joan Leslie Woodruff

Joan Leslie Woodruff is the author of seven books, numerous short stories, and dozens of articles in professional publications. One of her novels, GHOST in the RAINBOW, has been optioned for movie and television by a well known film company in California. She was born on a USAF base, and grew up in New Mexico. Her ancestry includes Native American, German and Russian. She graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Loma Linda University of Medicine and Allied Health Professions. In 1976, she obtained certification in psychometrics from California State University. In 1983 she received her Master's, with double majors in counseling and education, from California State University San Bernardino. She has worked as an upper extremity rehabilitation specialist, an evaluator and a counselor. She is semi-retired and living on a small ranch in Central New Mexico, where she continues to write suspense mystery novels. Her nonfiction writing relates primarily to her professional background (as a therapist). Her books are available worldwide.

Book preview

MIND

      GAMES

Joan Leslie Woodruff

SKU-000613253_TEXT.pdf

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2012 by Joan Leslie Woodruff. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/15/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8229-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8230-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012919589

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

DAY ONE

DAY TWO

DAY THREE

DAY FOUR

DAY FIVE

DAY SIX

DAY SEVEN

DAY EIGHT

DAY NINE

DAY TEN

DAY ELEVEN

DAY TWELVE

DAY THIRTEEN

DAY FOURTEEN

DAY FIFTEEN

DAY SIXTEEN

DAY SEVENTEEN

DAY EIGHTEEN

DAY NINETEEN

DAY TWENTY

DAY TWENTY-ONE

DAY TWENTY-TWO

DAY TWENTY-THREE

DAY TWENTY-FOUR

DAY TWENTY-FIVE

DAY TWENTY-SIX

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

MY OTHER BOOKS

You are never going to be perfect.

I am never going to be perfect.

Perfection is not attainable.

Happiness is always transient.

Makes you want to give up already.

Then, as if life isn’t difficult enough, neuroscience reveals our brains are wired from birth toward negative thinking. Negative thinking helps us expect and see danger because we know it’s out there, which aids our survival. Unfortunately, negative thinking also makes us miserable; but, we do it so often, we are experts in manufacturing our self created misery.

You know this: If you do something often enough, you’re going to get really, really good at it. No wonder we are experts when it comes to seeing the glass is only half full. Our negative circuits are always busy!

Why try, right?

The answer is, you should try. Life is short. While you are here, you want to enjoy as much of your life as you can. (Note: If you are depressed, see your doctor, this isn’t for you!)

While a young therapist, I noticed my patients were much happier when they perceived their day’s chores positively. I came up with a check list which asked them to rate the activities of their days, keeping track for several weeks. The actual chore/activity/work had little to do with happiness. It was their perception of it that mattered. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) invited me to present the results of this research at an annual AOTA convention in Anaheim, California. Afterward, because I didn’t know what else to do with the results, I donated my research to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH). I have no idea if they looked at it. I do believe it strongly supported that thoughts lead to mental health quality.

During postgraduate work I studied many theorists, who I began to think of as theory couriers. Their fields included psychoanalysis, Adlerian theory, existentialism, person centered therapy, Gestalt, behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, reality therapy, feminist therapy, postmodern approach, family system therapy, integrative therapy, and many more. Those whose work transferred more into