ONE QUESTION

Where are you not being honest with yourself?

ONE THING TO PONDER

Complaining makes you feel like you’re doing something while accomplishing nothing.

ONE PERSPECTIVE

I've lived through countless disasters, failures, and heartbreaks. I've faced financial ruin, humiliating rejections, and devastating losses.

Except I haven't. Not really. Because most of them never actually happened.

A terribly unfortunate thing is that the vast majority of our tragedies have only happened in our minds.

In moments of uncertainty, we don't just dip our toes into worrying—we dive headfirst into "what if."

I often wonder if we took all the stories of what could happen that caused us stress and worry, what percentage of them actually came to fruition. My guess….less that 5%. I have no data to support this percentage, it’s a data set of one….me!

That means 95% of my suffering is self-inflicted, occurring in a reality that exists only in my imagination. 

We are literally making ourselves miserable over things that will never happen.

And yet, knowing this truth doesn't seem to stop us, does it?

Slow down, take a breath. 

Take notice that overthinking things will take us to a place that doesn't actually exist, a place that we're making up in our own heads. 

When we overthink things, we will create a reality (that isn't reality today) that ultimately hurts us, our relationships, and our health, etc. 

Here’s the thing, I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t know…yet we keep doing it because of the pattern we’ve created. 

Here's what I know to be true: 

You have survived 100% of everything life has thrown at you so far. 

Every single challenge, setback, and heartbreak—we're still here.

Not only surviving, but likely carrying gifts from those very struggles:

-Strength we didn't know we possessed

-Compassion we couldn't have understood otherwise

-Wisdom that only comes through difficulty

-Resilience that's now woven into our being

The Wisdom of Now

What would change if we invested all that mental energy spent worrying into fully experiencing today?

What if, instead of rehearsing tragedies, we practiced presence?

I'm not suggesting toxic positivity or denying that real challenges exist. They do, and they will come. But they'll come on their own terms—not because we worried them into existence.

Until then, there is work to be done. 

There is joy to be experienced.

There are moments, people and experiences to enjoy when we are living in an imaginary future. 

Know that whatever is happening in the moment, regardless of the story your mind is stirring up, you’re safe. Whatever you’re feeling, you’re safe. 

Whatever is real in this moment is waiting for us to take notice. 

While we know challenges will show up, don't overthink them into reality today. 

There is positive work to be done. 

Onward and upward!!

PODCAST

From Life Sentence to Life’s Purpose with Damon West

The Ed Mylett Show

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Necessary Endings
by Dr. Henry Cloud

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