A Small Shift that makes a Big Difference
Hi friend,
Quick question for you...
What’s the inner narrative running your life right now?
Last week, we hosted our first Root+Rise Monthly Circle where we explored one of the most powerful forces shaping our daily experience: our Inner Narrative—a.k.a. the mindset, beliefs, and stories we live by (usually without realizing it).
Here’s one thing we uncovered: You can’t always change your circumstances—but you CAN shift how you relate to them.
Psychologists call this Cognitive Reappraisal—and it’s one of the top tools for happiness and resilience, according to Dr. Laurie Santos (Yale professor + host of the Happiness Lab Podcast). And Fun fact? Last month I got to see Dr. Laurie Santos live and she said that “Synchronous social engagement,” or hanging out with people live, (yep, even on Zoom!) was second on her list of what boosts happiness—one of the reasons we are hosting our monthly calls.
Personally, last weekend I found myself getting overwhelmed with all of the end-of-school events and to-dos coming up on the calendar and my attitude toward it all was starting to get negative and resentful (that seems to be a common theme among parents). When I woke up Monday to realize that was the energy and narrative running in the background, and that it wasn’t helpful to me or anyone else, I changed my tune.
And here’s the obvious (but powerful) part - the exact events on my schedule that were stressing me out? They were actually amazing.
They were joyful community gatherings with bright eyed kids and moments of connection.
Isn’t that what we are longing for these days?
I mean truly, one of my happiest moments last week was watching kids LIGHT UP with giddy delight as they peeled off wet paper towels to reveal dinosaur, firetruck, or unicorn tattoos! I watched them over and over - and their wonder and sheer excitement was infectious. How could that event be the one that was stressing me out?!
So here’s your gentle nudge for when life is full or you’re in this May-cember season:
Instead of getting swept up in the chaos or stickiness of life, pause and ask:
What story am I telling about this?
Is it helpful?
Could I choose a different lens?
Try this one on: “This season is FULL—and I’m grateful for the memories being made.”
And if you want to go deeper, here are a couple journal prompts we went through in class:
Where do I feel stuck or stagnant right now?
What beliefs might be keeping me small?
What new story would support the life I want to create?
Small shifts. Big impact.
Let me know if this resonates—or reply and tell me the new story you want to tell.
With love,
Abbey