04/03/2026
It’s so hard to fight against those strong neural pathways that, if we’re not careful, lead us to the same default thoughts again and again. I’ve worked — and continue to work all the time — at being more aware and in control of my thoughts. I get to decide which ones I listen to, which ones I believe, and which ones I disregard.
It’s HARD work, but so worthwhile.
I’m also doing what I can to arm my kids with the awareness and tools to do the same.
Maggie and I named the “mean girl” in her mind, and sometimes I encourage her to talk to that voice — to tell her she’s not telling Maggie the truth, and that she needs to be quiet. She felt silly doing it at first (and still does sometimes!), but that approach has worked really well for me personally, so I wanted to share it with her. It can be such a helpful way to talk about how just because our brain has a thought, it doesn’t mean that thought is true or that we have to entertain it.
This being a heathy human thing is exhausting work, but so incredibly rewarding, too (like most hard things tend to be!).
