The Costanza Dilemma

 
                 “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
                                                                                          -Maya Angelou

Have you ever thought you should have done the exact opposite regarding decisions you’ve made in life?
You try so hard to succeed, yet nothing ever seems to go your way.

Well, one thing is for sure; if you continue to do as you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get the same result.

An example I use in helping people change unhealthy behaviors is the Seinfeld episode feature George Costanza. George comes in to the café where Jerry and Elaine are seated. He proceeds to tell them that everything he has ever done in his life has been wrong.

Jerry replies. “If everything you do is wrong….then the opposite would be right.”

George agrees. He then walks right up to a pretty lady and does the opposite of what he would typically do;

“Hi, my name is George…I’m unemployed and I live with my parents”

To which the lady excitedly responds, “Hello George”

Doing the opposite may seem counterintuitive, however, if the methods we choose in diets, relationships, or various other situations have failed, we may want to consider what the opposite might look like.
Many times emotional decisions are made in emotional moments. This may seem like an oxymoronic statement, but think about it…emotional moments require logic and reason to move forward in a productive manner. If not, like George, we will continue the same method and receive the same outcome.

So the next time we’re in an emotional situation; stop… Contrary to our feelings, let the urge for an immediate response subside so that logic and reason can guide us is in a more productive manner.

And as Jerry said, “If everything you do is wrong….then the opposite would be right.”
           
 “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”
                                                                                            -Albert Einstein