PRACTICE TOOL
Fact or Story
Separate what happened from what your mind says it means.
Something happens. Then the mind fills the gap.
2 minutes
STEP 1
Describe only what you could have recorded on a camera.
STEP 2
What meaning did your mind add immediately?
STEP 3
The feeling is real. The story may still need checking.
STEP 4
What evidence supports the story? What are you assuming? Is another explanation possible?
STEP 5
What would I do if I responded to what I actually know — instead of everything I fear it might mean?
YOUR SUMMARY
Fact or Story
- What happened
- What my mind said it meant
- What I felt
- What I actually know
- What I can do now
A thought is not automatically a fact.
Sometimes the most accurate answer is “I don’t know.” Uncertainty can be more honest than turning an assumption into a fact.