I am a Cognitive Therapist's Dream Come True

I was reading a chapter for class the other day about Cognitive Therapy.  My textbook says the following,

"In trying to discern functionality and/or rationality of a client's thinking, Maultsby (1984) proposed the following criteria:
1.  Rational thinking is based on obvious facts.
2.  Rational thinking helps people protect their lives and health.
3.  Rational thinking helps people achieve their own short- and long-term goals.
4.  Rational thinking helps people avoid their most unwanted conflicts with other people.
5.  Rational thinking helps people feel emotionally the way they want to feel without using alcohol or drugs."

The goal of cognitive therapy, then, is to correct dysfunctional or irrational thinking.

Now, let's look at my thinking in relation to the four points above:
1.  My thoughts are often based on assumptions about what others are thinking or feeling.
2.  My thoughts often make my life harder to live and decrease my mental health.
3.  My thoughts often consist of reasons why I'll never reach my goals.
4.  My thoughts often cause conflict with others (particularly in regards to romantic relationships).
5.  Most of the time, my thoughts cause me to feel sad, upset, inferior, hopeless...the exact opposite of how I want to feel.

Hmmmm.....

This isn't really news to me. But it sort of puts it into perspective to see it laid out like that.  And while it seems like it should be a relatively easy thing to just change the way you think, to just tell yourself what you want to hear and fake it 'til you make it, it's something I struggle with on a daily basis, and have for as long as I can remember.  Sure, I recognize that my thoughts aren't always based in true reality, but it's my reality for whatever reason.  I can even recognize when I'm doing it...but I can't stop it.  My brain can't seem to accept another reality, even if it's the true, rational one.  So, herein lies the problem.