The small, seemingly insignificant incidents and interactions in life can echo in our minds, amplified to an unbearable volume. These repetitive thoughts can shape our perception, stressing us over minute details, which may seem like some form of mental torture. However, it's these micro-managed life elements that make us who we are.

The repetitive scenarios in life are not always negative; sometimes, they're catalysts for growth. When an unwelcome situation repeats, we often dread that it would go as horribly wrong as the previous time. Yet, we find ourselves let off from the severity of the past. This is a chance to reflect on the steady improvements in life, nudging us towards better outcomes and resilience.

Acknowledging my motives has allowed me to view myself more objectively. This clarity has significantly transformed how I interact with those around me. Despite the optimism, I understand that people may let me down, and that's on me. However, resilience lies in getting up, dusting off and moving forward.

I've come to understand that everyone has their own viewpoints. It's not about convincing them to adopt mine, but rather to appreciate the diversity of thoughts and ideas. By refraining from arguing and instead fully committing to what I've chosen, I've learned to win without necessarily needing to be right.

I've learned the importance of seizing the right opportunity at the right time. Recognising when I've chosen to do the wrong thing is as crucial as understanding when it's time to stop and change course. The timing of our actions can save us a lot of trouble.

Between periods of action, I've learned to cherish the times when I simply have to wait. These moments demand patience, as change - whether in family, job or everything else - can only happen in one area at a time. These small improvements and changes are the signs that my life is steadily progressing.

The worst thing I can do to someone is to try to control them. Individual freedom is very important and nobody wants to feel like they can’t decide for themselves what to do. A lot of my trouble and conflict with people comes from me. Even the very small things, like how a conversation goes, requires me to be sensitive or even hyper-sensitive to the flow of the conversation and the motivations of the people

Another thing that I involuntarily do is to think about different periods from my past. They are all things that I regret but when I'm stuck in this mode of looking back, I am able to see the experience in a different way to how I saw it before. And this can be quite jarring, but seeing what I did without any of the emotions attached to it is definitely a good thing for me.

Every day, from when I wake up to when I go to bed, my life is a series of choices. And each choice is important. Recognizing the clues and what is a clue is the key for me. Just as important as choosing the right thing to do is recognizing when I should stop doing something.

Life changes from time to time, but in between these changes are long periods where things are the same. In the last ten years, my life has been changing in a good way and there have been some, what I would call landmark changes, mixed in with other smaller changes. The spaces in between the changes are important for me for a couple of reasons. They help me adjust and prepare for what comes next.