63: Monday Moment: It's Not Even Over Yet

Recording from a remote cottage in the mountains of Norway, Tania notices something surprising: her surroundings are breathtaking, but her mood has dipped. This Monday Moment is a reflection on the stories our minds rehearse, and how the story we focus on can shape the way we experience the moment right in front of us. 

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

0:01

Happy Monday and greetings from Norway. I've been in this beautiful country for almost five days, and I'll be leaving soon. And today I noticed something that I find rather interesting. Here I am, sitting in one of the most spectacular places I've ever been. Specifically, I'm in this remote cottage in the mountains near the west coast of Norway with the most breathtaking views and yet I felt a little bit of sadness come over me this afternoon. And I found that fascinating because it was such a sharp contrast to how I felt when I was still back in Buffalo, New York, packing for this trip. When I was packing my bags, I, you know, in my physical environment, I was in this messy apartment with clothes thrown all over my bed because I was still deciding what to bring. I had this long list of things to get done before I left, and yet my mood was like sky high. I was just filled with excitement. I was filled with anticipation. I couldn't wait to see my youngest sister who lives in Norway and also couldn't wait to see all the places we talked about seeing. And yet fast-forward five days, here I am in one of those spectacularly beautiful places we had planned to visit, and I noticed my, my mood dip. And it was just such a good reminder that so often what we're experiencing isn't necessarily about our surroundings. I mean, I'm looking out the window right now as I'm recording this, and these gorgeous mountains haven't changed. They're just as beautiful as they were yesterday. So what's really changed is the story that I'm telling myself. You know, when I was packing, I was telling myself a story about how incredible this trip was going to be, how good it was gonna feel to get away and to see my sister and to spend some quality time with her. And now I'm sitting here in this little pine cabin recording this episode, and I'm noticing that I'm telling myself a story of loss. I'm already grieving the end of my trip, and yet it's not even over yet So I guess that's my invitation today, just to simply notice the story you're telling yourself. Because sometimes we don't realize that our emotions are faithfully reflecting the story that our mind is rehearsing instead of the moment that we're living in or that we could be living in. I mean, I could be telling myself the story that my trip is almost over, which clearly I have been, or I could be telling myself the story that, I mean, I still have today, and I'm surrounded by all this beauty, and both of those stories are true. So the story that I give my focus to, the story that I spend time telling, is the one that's gonna dictate how I experience this moment And those are my thoughts from Norway. Have a wonderful Monday