Do you ever feel like bad things always happen to you? Are you convinced that you’ll never be happy because good things only come to everyone else? Then you would definitely relate to Mona.
I was recently re-watching Half & Half, a show about two half-sisters, Mona and Deedee, who grew up in separate households and decided to work on their relationship in adulthood.
Mona & Deedee Thorne
But there was one thing in the first episode that caught my attention a way it never had before.
After a guy that Mona was interested in ended up asking her younger sister, DeeDee, out on a date, Mona basically had a meltdown.
Mona told her mother, Phyllis, that she was convinced that the world was split up into “two types of people.”
The first group are the Monas. In essence she suggested that these are the people who have bad luck, never get what they want, are unattractive/unwanted, and always watch good things happen to everybody else.
The second group, the Deedees, are essentially the people who have amazing luck, always get what they want, are attractive and charismatic, and never struggle to attract good things to themselves.
Her mother, Phyllis, did her best to try to encourage Mona and uplift her spirits. But by the end of their conversation, Mona had resigned herself to the fact that, “I’ve spent my whole life coming in second to her [Deedee]; but unfortunately, the world is made of DeeDees and Monas. And I ended up a Mona.”
Maybe you’re in this space right now. Your thoughts constantly remind you that:
And on and on it goes…
After watching several episodes, I could totally understand why Mona felt the way she did. Mona and Deedee were often compared to each other, and jokes/comments were usually made at Mona’s expense. Additionally, some bad things did occasionally happen to Mona.
But if I was Mona’s therapist do you know what are two things I would have told her?
I know I may get some flack for this but I’m going to say it anyway.
You don’t have bad luck.
Contrary to what your mind & life circumstances have taught you, you do not have bad luck. But as long as you believe you do, you will. Tweet this!
There are (at least) three things keeping you stuck in the ‘I have bad luck’ frame of mind:
While I’ll discuss each of these in my next few posts, I’ll leave you with one last thing. Mona & Deedee were two completely different people. Mona was curvy, quirky, and eclectic in her tastes. Deedee was slim, “classically” feminine, and more conventional in her tastes. They had completely different body types, hair types, skin complexion, personalities, temperaments, and approach to life. Mona constantly compared herself to Deedee. But in the process of doing that she missed out on someone special—herself.
If you’re tired of your “bad luck” check out part 2 here.
Do you believe you have bad luck? What can you do to start killing the bad luck demon today?
In this series, I've been introducing common cognitive distortions that keep you stuck. If this…
Picture this. You've finally been asked to give a presentation in front of your regional…
One of the most common distortions I see in people who struggle with depression, anxiety,…
Tell me if this sounds familiar. You have a specific goal, milestone, or achievement you…
Imagine you walk into a jewelry store and see a beautiful ring. Maybe it's a…
Tell me if this sounds familiar. Your life feels like one never-ending trial, tribulation, and…