Welcome to The Mind Shift Moment with Dr. Veronica Griffin, from Protect Each One Consulting, LLC. I am Dr. Veronica Griffin. This is a moment to pause, reflect, and choose a thoughtful next step. Our discussion is educational and offers general reflection rather than individualized treatment. You can participate at your own pace, skip any prompt, or simply listen. If you are driving or doing something that needs your attention, save the exercise for later. The people in our examples are fictional. Take what is useful and leave room for your own circumstances.
When life has changed, you may find yourself asking whether you can trust your own decisions. You might review every choice or look to other people for an answer that feels certain. Today we are exploring a smaller task: choosing one action that reflects what matters to you. You do not have to know the whole future to act with intention today.
Choose a value in ordinary language. Perhaps honesty, care, fairness, learning, faith, stability, or connection. Ask what that value would look like in a specific situation. Care might mean making a medical appointment. Honesty might mean clarifying what you can commit to. Learning might mean asking a question before assuming you should already know the answer. A value becomes useful when it can guide an action you can describe.
Imagine a fictional person, Reese, deciding whether to accept another volunteer role. Reese values community and also wants to be reliable. Saying yes to every request has led to missed commitments. A value-guided choice could be offering a smaller role with a clear schedule. The decision honors contribution and reliability together. Reese may still feel uncertain about disappointing someone, but the offer can be evaluated against the actual time and responsibility available.
For your exercise, write one current decision, one value, and two possible actions. Describe the likely costs and limits of each option. You do not need to make one option look perfect. Ask which action best fits the value and the circumstances you can reasonably understand. If the decision involves health, legal duties, finances, or significant risk, seek appropriate professional guidance. Reflection can prepare your questions while expertise informs the decision.
[Reflection pause: 30 seconds.]
Now consider how you will review the choice later. What information will be available? What would tell you that an adjustment is needed? A decision can be responsible based on what you know and still need revision when circumstances change. You can learn without rewriting the past as though you had access to facts that arrived afterward. That distinction makes room for accountability and a fair assessment of the process.
You may also want to ask whose voice is shaping the decision. Advice can be useful, and pressure can make it difficult to hear your own priorities. Consider whether a person respects your right to choose and understands the relevant facts. You can say: I appreciate your perspective, and I need time to consider it. A pause can create room to gather information rather than agreeing in the moment to reduce discomfort.
This week, make one modest commitment connected to a value and follow through as far as circumstances allow. Record what you chose and what you learned. Trust in your decisions can be approached through observable actions: gathering information, considering consequences, making a choice, and reviewing it honestly. Let the next step reflect a value you recognize as your own, with enough flexibility to respond to what you learn.
Here is your journal question: Which value matters in this decision, and what action would express it realistically? You can write a sentence, make a brief list, or consider it quietly. You do not have to share what you write. If the reflection feels unhelpful, stop and choose an ordinary activity instead. We will leave a little space here.
[Reflection pause: 30 seconds.]
Your practical step for this week is: Choose one small value-guided commitment and set a time to review what you learn.
Before we close, choose what you want to carry into the next few days. Make the step small enough to use and clear enough to recognize. You can return to the question later, adapt the exercise, or discuss it with someone you trust. If this concern is persistent, worsening, or affecting daily life, a qualified professional can help you consider support that fits your situation. Thank you for making room for this conversation.
This has been a MindShift moment with Dr. Veronica Griffin. I am a Clinical Social Work Researcher, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with Protect Each One Consulting, LLC. My work connects research with trauma-informed practice to support healing, resilience, and personal growth. Thank you for taking this moment to pause, reflect, and care for yourself. Healing begins in a safe space—Protect Each One.