Episode 62: Good News! Thoughts are Optional!
About this episode
Brooke Oniki discusses how our thoughts shape our emotional experiences and the importance of awareness in coaching.
Two inmates. The same caseworker. One thinks she's amazing; the other thinks she shouldn't even have a job. So which is it? In this episode, I share stories from my coaching classes at the Utah State Prison that perfectly illustrate one of the most foundational principles in coaching: our thoughts — not our circumstances — create our feelings. The same sentencing, the same caseworker, the same camping trip, the same child, the same bank account can produce completely different emotional experiences depending on the thoughts we choose to have about them. But here's what this episode is not about: rushing to swap your thought for a shinier one. Before we ever change a thought, we need awareness of what our current thoughts are creating for us — in our relationships, our identity, and the meaning we give to our lives. In this episode, you'll learn: Why circumstances (a sentencing, a caseworker, a "difficult" child) are neutral until we have a thought about them The important caveat: thoughts create feelings in a regulated nervous system — and why we need to calm down before we can access our adult brain Why "thoughts are optional" doesn't mean lying to yourself or pretending…
More episodes of Midlife with Brooke
- The Mother-in-Law Series: It Starts at the Wedding
- Episode 61: Consider What You're Considering-A Lesson from King Mosiah
- Episode 60-Understanding Gen Z: What Every Parent Needs to Know, A conversation with Maggon Osmond
- B-Minus Work: Why Good Enough Is Better Than Perfect
- When Helping Isn't Helping
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