Manhattan – just above the autopilot panel
We all do it.
Without noticing.
Overthinking. Replaying. Spiraling.
But once you become aware –
you take the power back.
That’s where the 90-second rule comes in.
The moment you realize you’re consciously revisiting a negative thought – maybe out of self-pity – you can flip the script.
Notice the thought. Own it.
Remember: you’re the observer, not the thought itself.
Say “Stop!” – firmly.
Replace it out loud with a thought of gratitude.
Even just whispering “thank you” has real force.
In less than 90 seconds, your mind shifts.
From noise to clarity.
From spiraling to presence.
You always know.
When you’re chasing a thought that doesn’t serve you – deep down, you know.
How?
It whispers.
Not the loud, judging voice.
That one’s always yelling.
Shrinking you.
But the whisper –
it’s soft, steady, and clear:
“Is this really helping?”
That’s your inner compass.
The key is to hear it – and move in the opposite direction from where autopilot would drag you.
You said no to something.
And now? The second-guessing starts.
You’re fixated on what you might be missing.
You romanticize the alternative.
You forget why you chose differently.
Your mind isn’t playing fair.
It’s projecting a movie of how great that other choice could have been.
A fantasy.
Meanwhile, the real-world consequence of your actual choice is unfolding – with its natural ups and downs.
Suddenly you catch it.
A whisper again:
“Why are you spiraling?
Why feed this loop?
Stand by your choice. Let go.”
So you say it:
“Stop.”
And flip the script.
You did trust your intuition.
You chose from a place of clarity.
Honor that. And move forward with conviction.
I call it my 7-second rule.
Negative thought?
→ Awareness.
→ Check.
→ Shift.
I can switch gears in seven seconds flat.
And yes – it’s absolutely possible.
That one insight changed everything.
Now I use my mind.
I’m no longer used by it.
Sometimes I jokingly call my brain “Becky.”
She means well –
but she’s not always the best in high-stress situations.
That’s why it’s so powerful to realize:
I am not my brain. I’m not even my mind.
I can observe her. Guide her. Retrain her.
She may be of use in my cockpit –
but I’m still the captain.
Sometimes thoughts just… appear.
As if you had no say.
But here’s the truth:
You have thoughts.
You are not your thoughts.
That alone shifts everything.
It puts you back in charge.
Even if the thought doesn’t go away –
it doesn’t get to run the show anymore.
Pushing things down only makes them louder.
Labeling them gives them weight.
Don’t name the emotion.
Don’t call it “anger” or “disappointment.”
Just watch it.
Zoom out.
Feel it in your body.
That knot in your stomach?
That sharp twist in your chest?
It’s just a physical echo
of a mental loop.
And once you see it that way –
it starts to dissolve.
Thoughts and emotions are always shifting.
Like clouds in motion.
Meet them with curiosity.
Don’t resist. Don’t cling.
Sometimes there’s a lesson underneath.
Or a pattern.
Or an action waiting to be taken.
You’ll only find it
when you stop running from it.
Negative thoughts will always win
– unless you choose otherwise.
Your brain is designed to spot danger, not joy.
Survival, not serenity.
So unless you fly the plane…
Becky will.
The antidote?
Micro rituals that shift your state:
• Meditation
• Conscious breathing
• Gratitude before bed
Not once in a while.
Consistently.
Because it’s not what you do occasionally
that changes your life –
it’s what you do on repeat.
Whether your thoughts show up uninvited,
or you chase them down yourself – remember:
They come.
And they go.
Just like clouds.
Let them drift.
Stay still.
Stay conscious.
Hands on the wheel.
And trust – the sun is right behind them.
