In the activity, Bugs that Must Be Transformed (Pages 28-9), students learn about various kinds of “Automatic Negative Thinking” (ANTS) that help them to identify which kinds of thoughts are more often happening to them. Is it worry, blame, thinking about what “should” be happening, predicting negative futures, assuming you know what someone else is thinking, or something else? 

(1) Identifying the few that are more common to you (awareness) is a great step toward being able to (2) become mindful of them when they are happening, so that (3) they can then be shifted toward something more useful, if appropriate!

After all, we’d like to transform them into Purpose-Driven intentions!