“How could they say that?” We have all been there. We are in a conversation (or a situation) with someone we like, and then something unexpected happens. They do something, or say something, outside of what we think they should. It catches us off guard, of course.
Then what do WE do? We assume the worst.
We start with a litany of thoughts that take us down a rabbit hole. Thoughts start racing through your mind like…
She is just rude!
He has never really liked me!
This is why I don’t have friends! They never do what they say they are going to do.
You get the idea. Our brain takes off with the worst case scenario and creates an untenable situation for us and our offenders. But is any of it really true? Did they really mean to offend you? Were they really trying to snub you? They might have been.
On the other hand, it might have been a situation that was created only in your mind.
What if we do the opposite? What if we work to train ourselves to be intentional when our brain gets hijacked with this train of negativity? What if we assume the best? Many of your relationships are in your life for a reason. They are people who care about you…and you them. Most of them likely want the best for you, right? Why don’t we assume THAT?
Instead of letting your thoughts get away from you, stop.
Take a breath and replace those thoughts with something like…
I always know where I stand with her!
She always tells me what I need to hear.
I love that he looks out for me.
They are doing the best they can.
You get the idea. Don’t beat yourself up. The brain has a natural tendency to skew toward negativity. That ability has helped to keep us alive for thousands of years. But in today’s world, it does not often serve our happiness. So today, let’s break the negative thought train. Today, when something goes differently than you expect, do yourself a favor.
Assume the best.
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