Dear Human 💕,

you’ve been telling yourself all day that you should go on a walk, but you didn’t even put your shoes on yet. The weather is perfect, and you always tell me how good you feel after a walk. And yet right now it seems you don’t really want to go. What’s going on?

Humans – just like cats – don’t like to be told what to do – not even by themselves. So, when you tell yourself “You should go on a walk”, you feel pressured to do something. And then you push back and resist your shoulds.

What could you do?

Turn your shoulds into coulds.

Wait. What? You’re wondering how is it helpful to just change two letters?

Try it right now. Say out loud:

I should go on a walk.

Now say:

I could go on a walk.

That feels very different, doesn’t it?

With should your brain probably tensed up a little. With could something shifted. You don’t feel pressured anymore. Could feels like an option – something you get to choose because you want to, not because you’re forcing yourself.

You’ll be surprised how often you actually want to do the thing once the pressure is off.

Now… you could go on that walk. Or you could cuddle with me. Either way, it’s your choice.

Yours,
Cat 🐾

P.S. Psychologists call it “Demand Resistance” when your brain rebels against any demands or shoulds – even when they come from yourself. The more you push yourself with should the harder you resist.