Pop ups. They still happen on my computer, even with all the great software pop up blockers in our browsers and computer firewalls. I know, I know, it’s marketing at its best when an advertiser finds a new and creative way to get products and services in front of our faces, but pop up ads are really annoying for me. I don’t think I’ve ever clicked on one unless it was by accident, but the strategy must work to some degree because it hasn’t gone away, and that means somebody is making some money.
In reality, the software programs that block the pop up ads don’t really “block” the ads, they keep them from
launching. The .exe file of the ad is prevented from opening when a certain link is accessed. Okay, you say, what’s the point in splitting hairs. Well, I don’t have a blog entry unless I do. (Let’s read on to the good part, shall we?)
So, wouldn’t it be cool if we could buy some Negative Emotion Pop Up Blockers for um, some people we know? Maybe mix them a pop up blocker elixir? Or serve them a tasty mint that would prevent the launch of anger or bitterness or jealousy from just popping up automatically? (Maybe we could all make use of such a product.)
One of the saddest things for me to hear someone say is, “I can’t help it.” The truth is, they can, but may really feel helpless because they don’t know how to “help it.” That then leads to the bigger question, which is, is that someone willing to learn how. The only thing that prevents us from learning something new is our pride. (Ouch, I resemble that comment sometimes.)
A good counselor essentially helps a person disconnect the .exe file of the negative emotion pop up, so that when a certain “button” is pushed, that negative emotion file doesn’t launch. It may still be in the person’s “system”, but it just doesn’t play out. Sometimes it takes some time to sever the connection between the “button” that gets pushed, and the pop up negative emotion, but the good news is it’s possible. Most times, we can even surprise ourselves with the speed of our progress once we get started. God gave us an incredible mind, a brain capable creating of billions of neurological connections, allowing us to continually be creative and imaginative. Just as a capable computer programmer can find a way to disable pop ups by writing a new program or script into the software, in the same way, a capable counselor with God’s help can help find a way to “write a new script” into your life, bypassing any negative emotional files stored away in your mind.
So, are there any negative emotional pop ups you’d like to block out of your life? Write a new script.
Rev. Greg Griffin is a Board Certified Pastoral Counselor and Forgiveness Coach in private practice in Marietta, GA. His specialty is relationship repair and rescue- helping partners, spouses, and parents and their adolescents. He’s also the author of Dungeon Times Survival Guide, and Vital Faith.