Thinking Well: Choosing Stories That Serve Us
This week has been all about thinking well. Healing from a concussion has reminded me—more than once—that concussions affect how we think, at least temporarily (hopefully).
I thought I was sending the right documents back to our accountant, but I wasn’t. I thought I needed corn starch, but I didn’t. I thought it was a legitimate offer, but it wasn’t.
As I continue to write and reflect on my book How to Build a Lifeboat, I find it quite marvellous how we can direct our thoughts — at least some of them — to a healthier, more balanced life.
To that end, I have worked on how we can think well about all of the other “wells” in my lifeboat. These are the ways I want to think about them. You can decide what resonates for you, and change whatever you need to.
Let’s take a closer look.
• Sleep well
I sleep deeply through the night and wake up refreshed, restored, and ready to embody my vision.
• Digest well
I am grateful for this food and drink. Whatever I eat and drink nourishes my body and my energy.
• Breathe well
I breathe deep and slow. Each breath is a return to myself and the present.
• Move well
Every movement is exercise, expression, and care.
• Connect well
Every connection is meaningful—an opportunity to feel seen, heard, and valued, and to offer the same to those around me.
• Think well
My thoughts are just thoughts. I choose which ones to follow.
• Feel well
I accept my feelings and respond with compassion, curiosity, and care.
• Rest well
I rest whenever I need to. Rest is a necessity, not a reward.
• Dream well
My dreams come true—and I honour the ones still becoming.
• Stress well
I accept stress as a signal, a teacher, and a call to recalibrate and grow stronger.
• Being well
I live in the now, where the past offers lessons and the future holds hope—through intention, grounding, and acceptance.
• Sense well
I sense, therefore I am. My body is a wise and wondrous communicator and I am ready to listen.
• Remember well
I cannot change the past, but I can change the way I tell its stories.
• Believe well
I believe in my worth, my path, and the unseen forces that guide me.
• Soul well
My soul is whole, even when I feel fractured. I listen for its quiet guidance.
• Love well
Love is my compass. I offer it freely—to myself, to others, to the world.
I hope you can feel the difference of thinking well. Once you begin to pay attention, you'll notice the thoughts that don't serve you—and you'll have to choose differently.
The other morning I woke up amazed that I had slept through the night. My first thought was, I must be fighting something, because that's the only time I sleep so soundly. But almost immediately I realized: that was a mindset that wasn't serving me well.
That's the gift of thinking well. We can't always control the thoughts that arise, but we can choose which ones to follow, which ones to release, and which ones to reframe into stories that nourishes.
May you find yourself noticing, choosing, and telling new stories that carry you toward balance, clarity, and care.
