Most of us move through our days on autopilot more than we realize — thinking the same thoughts, reacting the same ways, and repeating patterns without even noticing. While this can help us get through routine tasks, it also means we can easily become entangled in our thoughts, identifying with them as truth. The problem is, left unchecked, autopilot keeps us stuck in familiar habits, even when they’re not serving us. Disrupting this automatic mode isn’t something that happens by accident; it requires intentional practice.

Therapy isn't about flipping our lives upside down. It's about exploring, getting curious, and creating the conditions where real change might happen — if and when we're ready. It's about understanding our motivations, desires, and our real selves. Change threatens what we know, what we've built, what feels familiar — even if what we know isn't authentic or comfortable. Our adaptations and defenses have been carefully crafted and cemented over a lifetime. They're not flaws. They're ingenious survival strategies. They've kept us safe, functional, and adaptive (even when it doesn't feel that way).

As we grow up we inherit a particular set of guidelines and frameworks for life—many of which shape how we view ourselves, others, and the world around us. These frameworks come from those we grew up with, shaped by their own beliefs, experiences, and even the emotional and psychological readiness (or lack thereof) they brought to parenthood. Our sense of self is formed not only through their reflections and observations but also through the biases they inherited from their parents, influenced by historical, cultural, and personal contexts.

Being important to yourself is not about turning into a selfish, grandiose prick and neglecting or devaluing others—it’s about valuing yourself enough to make space for your own needs. By recognizing your own self-worth, you’re better equipped to bring your best self to everything you do.

Journaling is for anyone, it’s easy to start, and you don’t need to have any special skills to get started. If you’re feeling resistance to journaling, it’s normal, but don’t decide ahead of time that you don’t like. Give it a try! Take these reflections as gentle reminders that there’s no perfect way to journal. Whether it’s through a gratitude list, freewriting, or even doodles, a journal is a space just for you—flexible, nonjudgmental, and supportive.

​If you believe others have that power, then you are the one limiting your choices. No one has the power to stop you from creating the life you want. No one can stop you but yourself. When you defeat yourself because of what others might think, it is not them, but you who is stopping you. It is you who is making other people’s opinions a priority over your own.