Flipping The Script
Sometimes the stories we tell ourselves are not reality, and learning to focus on gratitude instead of negativity can change everything.
by Gracie Raznick ★ May 11th, 2026
Photo Credit: Gracie Raznick
Recently, I had a talk with one of my best friends that helped me step back for a minute. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in my own way of thinking, and inside my brain, all my anxious thoughts feel like absolute realities. When I was sitting with one of my college friends, I told her a thought that, even as I said it out loud, felt untrue. But in my head, it felt so real, honest, and frankly like the truth. I told her I felt like I did not have many friends. Most people would have fed into that and started comforting me, but my friend gave me exactly what I needed.
She told me I was not thinking in my reality. Honestly, the second she said that and pointed out how off I was, I instantly felt better. Sometimes it is easy to live in my own head and believe the irrational thoughts I tell myself. My mind thinks and thinks and thinks, worrying, stressing, and making up false narratives. Not everything is perfect, and some anxieties are real, but my support system is one of my greatest blessings. So questioning my relationships is really just my brain playing tricks on me, because I am surrounded by so much love. I spend a lot of time trying to find people who make me feel fulfilled, and the older I get, the more I find people who truly bring out the best in me.
That conversation made me realize something important. I rarely stop and focus on the fact that I have so many kind, talented, hilarious, and like-minded people around me. I rarely even tell myself that those people care about me. That is when I realized life is a mindset. I know life can be hard, and bad days are inevitable. I feel the full range of emotions, but a lot of it comes down to how we choose to think. What we say to ourselves becomes our reality. When someone genuinely appreciates life, positivity and love tend to follow. It made me realize I spend too much time focusing on the negative. I am lucky, and I am grateful.
Negativity will never bring me or anyone else more joy or a better mindset. So now I am challenging myself to count my blessings more often, enjoy life more, and notice the small, happy things in my day-to-day life instead of feeding the anxious thoughts that are irrational, draining, and negative.
Edited by: Maia Simmons