Recognize the Story and Rewrite the Script

The challenges are real and familiar.

• Anxiety about difficult conversations or decisions. That inner voice that second-guesses everything.
• Reacting defensively to feedback—even when it’s helpful. Feeling overwhelmed by expectations from work or family.
• Self-doubt in moments that matter.
• And for many educators, navigating student dynamics, negativity, or disengagement while trying to stay grounded themselves.

In the MindShifting Practice Lab, the goal is to explore real problems people are actually facing and connect them to practical tools that help them become more effective, confident, and resourceful. Effective, confident, and resourceful  based on what their actual experiences in their jobs, in their families, with students, everywhere.

One question that came up directly was: How do you know if that inner voice is a saboteur—or something you should actually be listening to?

It’s a great question. The distinction we explored is this: saboteur voices tend to criticize no matter what you do. They push you toward inaction, second-guessing, or fear-based decisions. But they can still contain useful information. The key is to treat them as messengers, not decision-makers—listen for what they might be warning you about, then step back and choose your response from a more grounded, intentional place.

What became clear very quickly is that these aren’t isolated issues; every single one of us faces them every single day. We face them, our family members face them, our coworkers face them, and our students face them.

They are as incredibly frustrating and stressful as they are ubiquitous.

That’s where the MindShifting tools come in.

The session focused on a simple but powerful framework: Awareness → Calm → Change. First, noticing when we’re caught in a reactive pattern. Then calming the emotional response so we’re not operating from stress or fear. And finally, changing the story driving the behavior so we can respond more intentionally.

A big part of that awareness is recognizing what we call “Part X”—the inner saboteur. This is the voice that criticizes, doubts, and often attacks no matter what choice you make. Again, the goal isn’t to eliminate it, but to recognize it and put it in the right role.

From there, we explored the difference between scripts and stories. Stories are the meaning we assign to situations. Scripts are the automatic behaviors that follow. Neither are reality—they’re constructions. And once you’re aware of them, you can rewrite them.

Changing the story is where real shifts begin. Instead of defaulting to fear-based interpretations, we can ask: what do I actually want here? What’s a more useful or empowering way to see this?

We also reviewed more structured tools like SCORE—a process for unpacking recurring challenges by looking at symptoms, causes, desired outcomes, available resources, and the effects of change. SCORE helps move people from stuck patterns into deliberate action.

And then there’s the Emotional Cookie Jar—a simple but powerful way to build confidence by recalling past successes and resourceful states. It’s a reminder that we already have more capability than we often give ourselves credit for.

What makes the Practice Lab work is that these tools aren’t theoretical. They’re applied, tested, and refined in real situations, with real people, in real time.

That’s where the shift happens.

Our next practice lab starts July 8^th. Click here for more information or to register.