“Acting as if” is one of my favorite recovery tool that worked for me. By acting as if you are a certain type of person, you become that person, what I call the “As If” principle. To practice the positive, I act as if. It’s a positive form of pretending. It’s a useful tool to use to get ourselves unstuck. For many years after my son died, I isolated from friends. During the rare social gatherings I attended, I forgot how to initiate small talk. I was catatonic, who preferred to be invisible amidst the light banter. I bet my friends or relatives felt they were talking to a blank wall. The only persons I socialized were close family members. I realized the gravity of my people skills when I joined a parent’s group of my daughter’s colllege, and I couldn’t say a word. I knew I needed to wake up from my zombie state.
