chapter 20

Activity:

As you’ve seen, one valuable lesson from doing the Nine Dots Puzzle is that it’s worthwhile to look outside the box—including the boxes we put ourselves and others in. Doing this puzzle is also useful for exploring how we face challenges.

As part of the activity, you considered whether what you were saying to yourself was kind or unkind and whether it was helpful or discouraging (see chapter 16). Now, in this moment of relative calm, list three specific, helpful actions that you can take the next time you face a challenge. Perhaps listing three actions feels like a challenge, so here’s a hint—take your time, be patient, and notice what comes to mind.