Sarala Life — Life in Chapters: Careers, Canines, Cabernet & Courage

Daily writing prompt

What’s the best way to deal with negative thoughts?

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For a long time, I believed that the loudest voice in my head was the one telling the truth.

It was the voice that questioned whether I was good enough, whether I had made the right decision, whether everyone else was somehow further ahead, more capable, more successful, more certain.

The problem with negative thoughts is that they don’t usually arrive announcing themselves as fear. They often disguise themselves as logic.

“Be realistic.”

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

“You’re probably not ready.”

I’ve learned that the best way to deal with negative thoughts isn’t to fight them or pretend they don’t exist. It’s to get curious about them.

Where did this thought come from?

Is it based on facts or fear?

Would I ever say this to someone I love?

Therapy has taught me something that I wish more of us understood: a thought is not a verdict. It is simply a thought. Sometimes it’s an old story trying to protect us. Sometimes it’s a wound speaking louder than our wisdom.

When I catch myself spiralling, I come back to evidence instead of emotion.

I remind myself of the challenges I’ve already overcome.

I remember the rooms I’ve walked into afraid and left stronger.

I think about the people who have believed in me long before I believed in myself.

And sometimes, I simply let the thought pass without giving it a seat at the table.

The truth is, courage isn’t the absence of negative thinking. Courage is making the next decision anyway.

There are still mornings when I question myself. Starting my own business has certainly produced a few of them. There are days when purpose feels crystal clear, and others when the mortgage seems much louder than the dream.

But I’ve stopped expecting confidence to come first.

Action usually arrives before confidence does.

So when negative thoughts visit—and they still do—I no longer ask, “How do I make them disappear?”

Instead, I ask, “Do they deserve to make today’s decisions?”

Most of the time, the answer is no.

Maybe that’s what resilience really is: not silencing every doubtful thought, but refusing to hand it the steering wheel.

What helps you quiet your inner critic when it gets loud? I’d love to hear what works for you.