My black box holds a lot of things, but they all have something in common and it’s whenever I start a sentence with:

1. What if…
2. I can’t…
3. Bad things always happen to me, so…
4. I’ve already tried it and it didn’t work, so…

My black box of fear is filled with negative assumptions and pessimistic expectations. This is a great list to remember and to exercise the awareness with. To be aware of one’s behavior is one step closer to actually changing it. Yep, I’m on my way. Instead of the toxic ‘what if’s I will try to ask myself ‘what is?’ – to stay in the moment instead of taking the mental highway straight to a future catastrophe.