The manual we never got.
Three mental tattoos to carry with you.
The mind loves to tell stories.
It replays, rewrites and reimagines.
The situation is one thing.
But then we hold onto the situation by telling stories and making the situation mean something about us.
Our mind is an absolutely amazing tool. But the mind unchecked can turn into its own storm. We learned how to memorize facts but weren't taught how to manage our own thinking.
So. Let's talk about about that manual.
Someone introduced me to the idea of mental tattoos.
Short truths you carry with you so your mind works for you, not against you.
1. No Wouldy, Couldy, Shouldy
When your mind says:
"I should've..."
"I could've..."
"It would've been different if..."
You're arguing with the past.
That argument always cost you energy and peace.
Rub those three words out of your mental dictionary.
They don't serve you. They keep you stuck.
2. Ask 3 questions before you think
Before you spin into a thought loop, pause and ask:
1. Can I undo or change this?
If yes: act. Give 100% to fix it.
If no: return to mental tattoo 1. Let it go.
2. Is this thinking brining me peace or happiness?
If yes: continue.
If no: why are you thinking it?
3. Is this thinking helping me grow or develop?
Growth can feel uncomfortable. This is okay.
If it's neither peaceful nor developmental, it's useless thinking. Stop.
3. Analyze the incident (not the emotion)
When something pleasant happens, attach emotions.
Celebrate fully.
Your subconscious learns form energy
Joy says "Do more of this".
When something painful happens, detach the emotional burden and extract the lesson.
Ask "What is the learning here?"
Take the intellectual gift, not the weight.
Unpleasant experiences are master teachers when we refuse to carry their shame.
This is rational. Simple. Conscious. Clear.
Next time you start replaying something.
Breathe.
NO wouldy, couldy, shouldy
Run through the 3 questions.
Choose one small responsive step:
Fix it.
Learn from it.
Let it go.
Lot of love,
Oola Bella
See you next week!
