20/03/2026
A surprising amount of daily stress comes from the stories we tell ourselves about what’s happening around us.
Someone doesn’t text back. We assume they’re annoyed.
Two people glance our way. We assume they’re judging.
Our friend says, “Can we talk tomorrow?” and suddenly our brain has written a full disaster script.
But most of the time, we actually don’t know the reason behind these moments. Our minds just rush to fill in the blanks and they usually fill them with the most uncomfortable explanation possible.
What if we tried something different?
What if, when the story is unknown, we simply assumed the best instead of the worst?
Maybe the person who didn’t text back is overwhelmed today. Maybe those people staring at you are thinking you look amazing. Maybe that meeting tomorrow is about an opportunity.
Assuming the best isn’t about being naive or ignoring reality. It’s just about not punishing yourself with negative interpretations that may not even be true.
We do this all the time without realising it we interpret neutral moments as rejection, criticism, or failure. But most of the time, we’re reacting to a story our mind invented in the absence of facts.
When you don’t know the story, you get to choose the one you believe.
You might as well choose the kinder one.