Podcast Script
Running to Myself
The Day My Mind Management Got Tested
Why You Never Graduate From Managing Your Mind
Hi friend.
Welcome back to Running to Myself. I’m your host, Trisha Stanton.
Today I want to talk about something that has been happening behind the scenes in my life for the last several months. And honestly… it has been both exciting and a little bit hilarious.
I have been working on something I am incredibly excited about.
For the past several months, I’ve been building a six-week workshop that walks through the basics of learning how to manage your mind.
This idea has actually been sitting in the back of my mind for about two years.
Two years of thinking about it.
Two years of jotting down notes.
Two years of conversations with clients where I kept thinking,
People need a place where they can learn this step by step even if they aren’t working with me one on one.
And recently I finally reached the point where I could bring it to life.
The videos.
The worksheets.
The curriculum.
The structure.
It’s all coming together.
Which is amazing.
And here’s the part that makes me laugh.
While creating a curriculum about mind management… I have had to manage my mind more than ever before.
And listen, the irony of that is not lost on me.
If anything, the process has been the perfect reminder of something I teach all the time.
There is never a moment in life when you graduate from the need to manage your mind.
Not one.
Not when life is calm.
Not when life is chaotic.
Not when you’re doing something new.
And definitely not when you’re trying to create something meaningful.
In fact, the more meaningful the work is, the more your brain will have opinions about it.
And I was reminded of this very clearly a couple weeks ago.
Let me tell you the story.
I was working on finalizing the video for the first module of this program.
And if you’ve ever recorded video content before, you know the process.
You record it.
Then you watch it.
You erase it all and record again.
Then you watch it.
Then you edit it.
Then you watch it again.
And again.
And again.
By the time you’re done, you’ve seen your own face more times than you ever intended to. And you’re sick to death of your own voice and you realize that maybe you use your hands to much and you should probably shorten the time between getting your roots touched up and on and on.
So I’m sitting there watching the video again, thinking this is probably the final run-through before I FINALLY get to upload it.
And suddenly I see it. As plain as day. Sticking out like a sore thumb…
Lint.
All over my black sweater.
Not one tiny piece.
Not something subtle.
No.
It looked like I had put my black sweater in the dryer with a load of white towels before recording the video.
the first thought that immediately popped into my mind was:
“HOW did I not see this before?”
I had watched this video multiple times.
But now that I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it.
And my brain immediately went to:
“Well… you can’t leave that in there.”
Which meant…
I had to refilm the entire module.
Cue the dramatic sigh.
Now listen.
This is where the mind management part begins.
Because the circumstance is simple:
There was lint on the sweater.
But what our brains love to do in moments like that is start layering on a whole bunch of extra thoughts.
Thoughts like:
“This is so annoying.”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“Why didn’t I notice this earlier?”
“This is going to take forever.”
And if you’re not paying attention, those thoughts can quickly turn a small inconvenience into a very frustrating afternoon.
So I adjusted my schedule.
I moved from editing mode back into recording mode.
And I thought,
Okay. We’re just going to refilm this and move on.
Simple.
Except… that’s not what happened.
Because next, my microphone decided it was having a day.
I recorded the entire module again.
And when I listened back…
The audio was echoey.
Not slightly.
Noticeably.
Two hours.
Gone.
To microphone problems.
At this point you might imagine that frustration would start to creep in.
But honestly, it was starting to feel so ridiculous that I was more amused than anything.
I mean…
I’m literally creating a mind management course.
And everything around me is turning into a mind management test.
Then came the final act of this little comedy.
My husband comes downstairs from his office.
Now, for context, the downstairs area of our house is open concept.
Between our kitchen, dining and livingroom there are no walls.
No doors.
No hiding from sound.
So he walks in, and decides that right now would be the perfect time to:
Clean the ice machine.
I mean, yes, I asked him to do it, but NOT WHILE I’M TRYING TO RECORD A VIDEO!
And then he proceeds to make lunch.
Again…
Normally, this would be one of those moments where I might feel the irritation rising.
But I just had to laugh.
Because the timing was so perfect.
Here I am.
Trying to record content about managing your thoughts and emotions.
And the universe is basically saying,
“Okay well Let’s practice.”
Lint on the sweater.
Microphone problems.
Ice machine cleaning.
Lunch being made ten feet away.
All in one afternoon.
And in that moment I had this thought that made everything lighter:
“Of course this is happening.”
Of course.
Because there is never a time in life when you no longer need the tools.
Mind management is not something we use once and then we’re done.
It’s not something that only applies when life is calm and quiet and cooperative.
It’s something we use right in the middle of the interruptions.
Right in the middle of the imperfect circumstances.
Right in the middle of real life.
And this is a thought error I see all the time.
People think they’re supposed to reach some magical place where their mind stops offering unhelpful thoughts.
Where everything flows easily.
Where nothing feels inconvenient.
Where they never feel frustrated.
But that’s not the goal.
The goal is not a perfect mind.
The goal is a managed mind.
A mind where you notice what you’re thinking.
A mind where you realize you have choices.
A mind where you can pause and decide how you want to respond instead of reacting automatically.
That is the skill.
And like any skill, it strengthens through practice.
Not theory.
Practice.
Real life practice.
Which means lint happens.
Technology fails.
Ice machines get cleaned at the worst possible time.
And you still get to decide how you want to experience the moment.
One of the things I’ve noticed over the years, both in my own life and in my coaching work, is that most people are not actually taught how their mind works.
We’re taught what to do.
We’re taught what success looks like.
We’re taught expectations.
But very few people are taught how to look at the patterns of their own thinking.
The loops.
The habits.
The stories our brain tells.
And when you start to see those patterns clearly, something powerful happens.
You realize:
“Oh… this isn’t just happening to me.”
“I’m participating in the experience I’m having.”
Not in a blaming way.
But in an empowering way.
Because once you see it, you can start to shift it.
That’s actually the reason I finally decided to build this six-week workshop.
Because I wanted to create something that walks through the foundations of this work in a clear, simple, step-by-step way.
Not complicated.
Not overwhelming.
Just the basics.
How to notice your thoughts.
How to see the patterns.
How your thoughts create emotions.
How emotions influence your actions.
And how those actions create the results in your life.
What I call the Mindset Map.
It’s essentially a way of looking under the hood of your mind and seeing what’s actually happening.
Because once you can see the map, you’re no longer wandering around inside the maze.
You start to understand how your mind works.
And that understanding gives you options.
And the funny thing is…
While I’ve been creating this program…
My brain has been offering all kinds of thoughts along the way.
“This is a lot of work.”
“Is this good enough?”
“You’re ugly.”
“Maybe you should tweak that again.”
“Your voice is annoying.”
“Maybe you should start over.”
All the usual suspects.
Which is exactly why I’m so passionate about teaching this work.
Because the tools aren’t just helpful during hard seasons.
They’re helpful during creative seasons.
Growth seasons.
Building seasons.
Relationship seasons.
Parenting seasons.
Business seasons.
All of it.
Your mind is involved in every experience you have.
So learning how to work with it is one of the most valuable skills you can develop.
And if my lint-covered sweater and rebellious microphone taught me anything…
It’s this:
You will always have opportunities to practice.
Always.
The question isn’t whether life will give you moments that test your patience.
It will.
The question is whether you have tools to navigate those moments intentionally.
And the good news is…
Those tools are learnable.
They’re practical.
They’re simple.
And they’re powerful.
Soon, I’ll be sharing more about this six-week workshop that’s ALMOST ready to make its way into the world..
It’s called The Mindset Map Collective.
And it’s designed to help you learn your patterns and lead your life with more awareness and intention.
But for today, I want to leave you with this simple thought.
The next time something small goes wrong…
When technology doesn’t cooperate.
When your schedule gets interrupted.
When the ice machine starts getting cleaned at exactly the wrong moment…
Pause.
Notice what your mind is saying about the situation.
And ask yourself:
Is this thought helping me experience this moment the way I want to?
Because sometimes the most powerful form of mind management is simply stepping back and realizing:
“Oh… I have options here.”
And that small pause can change the entire experience.
Alright friend.
That’s what I have for you today.
Thanks for spending this time with me.
And until next time—
Keep running to yourself.
