Your brain is like a dog with a bone.

This can be awesome or terrible, depending on which “bone” you decide to chew on.

Let me get real with you for a sec.

This summer my family had planned a vacation to Hawaii. My husband grew up there and for the past 15 years we’ve been saying we’d take the kids, but never got around to it. Two years ago we finally made the FIRM commitment and began planning. Tickets were purchased, accommodations booked, kids were stoked.

Then covid came to town. I know we are not alone in experiencing disappointment with everything that has been canceled due to this virus. But I had a BONE and I didn’t want to drop the dream of finally taking the kids to Hawaii.

But the reality was, it wasn’t going to happen.

So plans changed, and we ended up taking a completely different vacation together.

This is when I had a choice to make. Did I drop the story of how disappointing it was to have to go to California instead, or did I create a new story that this could possibly be even better?

Because when we’re “making stuff up,” we might as well tell it in a way that feels good.

I decided to drop the old bone that was Hawaii. I picked up a new one that was “family RV trip” and deliberately chewed on it, completely (ok, mostly, I’m human!) forgetting about the other discarded bone.

And you know what? It worked. It ended up being one of the best, most memorable trips we’d ever taken as a family.

All of it. Even the parts when we didn’t know what we were doing, driving down the highway with the slide popping out with a slow sewage drip. (Shh, don’t tell!)

Then there were the moments where I watched my kids running carefree on the empty beaches (also because of covid, thank you!) and said a prayer of gratitude that I live in such a magnificent world, surrounded by people I love.

It was a beautiful reminder to me that I get to choose how to interpret any moment of my life.

Now. What’s that got to do with YOU?

Look around.

What is the “story” you’re telling about your life, your current circumstance?

Remember that it’s all optional. If you’re telling a story that doesn’t feel good, you’re the only one that has the power to change it. YOUR brain is that powerful.

I know it’s not always easy to “drop the bone” and just start telling a new story. As a matter of fact, sometimes it sounds quite ridiculous. But just knowing that it’s available to you is the first step—it allows you to not be quite so attached to whatever you’re telling, and you get to decide if and when you drop it for something better.

If you need help finding more ‘happy’, grab our free Radical Happiness Cards here!

Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find.

WHAT IS IT?