Changing negative narratives

I fell off my bike and sprained my wrist. It happened at the end of last year, and it still hurts when I put pressure on it.

Every time it happens, I’m reminded of the incident. And when that happens, the inner voice enters the stage:

“So stupid of me. I should’ve been more careful. The street was covered in snow, of course it was slippery. And I wasn’t even in a rush.”

Negative thoughts on autopilot. Not very helpful. So now I’m trying a new strategy.

I can’t change the fact that I get reminded of the incident, but I can change the narrative. Instead of those negative comments, I can take the lead role:

“How lucky I am that I got away with something that minor. I could just as well have broken something and been forced to cancel my trip to Thailand. Or worse, I could have hit my head and been seriously injured. I should be grateful.”

And it works. Not because I’m forcing a false idea. It works because it’s true.

There’s always something to be grateful for.