Healthy people know that there are many gray areas to life.  In fact, most of life consists of gray areas.  In one of the Harry Potter novels, there is a fictional character named "Serious Black."  Such a foreboding character only exists in novels and fairy tales.  No one is perfect - all white, and no one is totally evil - all black.  The same is true for your experiences.  Nothing is all good or all bad.

This mirror should be easy to recognize and destroy.  All you need to do is to look in it, and if everything you see is all white or all black, and nothing in between, you are looking into the mirror of all or nothing thinking.

It's impossible to enjoy the challenges you face when all or nothing thinking is in control.  All or nothing thinking means you are either a total success or total failure.

I couldn't perform eye surgery if I let all or nothing thinking rule my medical practice.  This mirror tells me that my surgical results have to be perfect one-hundred percent of the time, or I'm a horrible surgeon and should stop operating.  The only surgeon without complications is one who no longer operates.  Dead surgeons have no complications, but all practicing surgeons experience them.  Complications are part of the life of a surgeon.  No matter what you do in life, all or nothing thinking gives a false reflection and can't be trusted.  It's time to get out the sledge hammer, and once and for all, smash the mirror of all or nothing thinking.

I spent several years sailing around the world on my yacht.  A voyage around the world usually requires a time investment of at least four years, and a commitment to keep on keeping on in spite of the adversity you encounter during the voyage.  Some people start out on a voyage around the world, and later decide it requires too much time and effort to complete the trip.  These sailors limit their cruise to the Caribbean or to crossing the Pacific Ocean.  They have a fantastic voyage that fulfills their dreams as long as they don't look into the mirror of all or nothing thinking.

The mirror of all or nothing thinking says a voyage "counts" only if you sail all the way around the world.  If you only sail part way, it doesn't measure up to the all or nothing standard, and therefore, isn't worthwhile.  That is the kind of foolish assessment all or nothing thinking tries to foist on its victims.

Every thing you do counts and is important.  Your life isn't measured in black and white.  Go ahead and destroy this mirror so that all or nothing thinking never again controls your life.

Excerpt from :

Zero Tolerance To Negative Thinking : Good-by Depression - Hello Positive Mind

David J Abbott M.D.