market, their only hope is to win a bonus by beating all the
other farms in a race to see who will be able to bring in their
crop first. Meanwhile, storms, exhaustion and the KKK stand
in their way.
Viewing Suggestion:Watch how Edna faces many over-
whelming challenges after her husband died. With strength,
courage, and determination she is able to master these chal-
lenges successfully.
Exercise: Make a list of the influences in your life
that seem overwhelming to you. Do you have some
control over simplifying your life? Perhaps by
exercising some of this control you can make things
less overwhelming. Or do you have to face these
challenges as did Novalee and Edna? Take her as a
model and find the strength, courage, and
determination inside yourself.- I cannot let go of my guilt.
By using the word “guilt” here, I am referring to “feelings
of guilt” that are not based on being guilty of a serious misbe-
havior. You may know the difference rationally, intuitively, or
after you have heard at least one well-meaning friend tell you:
”You should not feel guilty about this.”
Ordinary People (1980)
Teenaged Conrad is plagued with guilt for having survived a
boating accident that killed his older brother. Worse yet, his
mother is seething with anger over the loss, which she conceals
beneath a cold, placid exterior. She struggles to hide the fact
that she feels the wrong son lived. Meanwhile, Conrad’s dad
loves him and his mother, but is paralyzed by fear and is use-
less in intervening. Following a suicide attempt, with the help
of a psychiatrist, Conrad begins the slow and painful process of
healing. But his progress also forces his parents to face the
unspoken feelings that divide them.
“For us to release the
shame of wanting, it’s
important we understand
the benefits which accrue
to others — not just
ourselves — when wants
are fulfilled, and how to
walk out of the ill-placed
guilt of putting ourselves
before others.”
Lynn GrabhornNegative Belief Index 83