Hello and welcome back to The Therapist Diaries,
I recently found myself rewatching one of my favorite childhood TV shows - Once Upon a Time. For those unfamiliar, it’s a modern-day retelling of classic fairy tales, where Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, and other beloved characters live double lives in a small town called Storybrooke, completely unaware of their magical origins. I've always loved the storytelling, the magic, and the drama, but watching it now, through the lens of a therapist and mindfulness practitioner, something deeper stood out.
Fairy tales are more than whimsical stories for children; they are powerful mirrors of our inner self. At their core they are stories of transformation, much like the journey of healing. They’re filled with moments of struggle, uncertainty, and revelation, echoing the emotional landscape we navigate in therapy. And as surprising as it might sound, these age-old stories offer a powerful metaphor for mindfulness: the process of waking up from the spell of autopilot living and beginning to see our experiences, and ourselves, with clarity and compassion. When we read them mindfully, fairytales can become tools for self-reflection and personal growth.
In this four-part series, we're going to explore the connection between fairytales and mindfulness showing how beloved stories, can inspire intentional living, emotional insight and inner strength. Each post will include a simple mindfulness exercise to help you bring the story's wisdom into your everyday life. Sometimes, the path to healing looks a lot like a storybook quest. And perhaps, like our favorite heroes and heroines, we too are just trying to find our way home.
So, come with me as we step out of The Therapist Diaries and enter... The Therapist's Tale.
We'll start this week with the story of The Three Little Pigs. At first glance, it's a simple tale about pigs building houses to protect themselves from a hungry wolf. Yet, when we look at it more closely, it becomes a story about resilience, foresight, and intentionality. The first two pigs build quickly, choosing easy solutions that leave them vulnerable. Their houses crumble, leaving them exposed to danger. In contrast, the third pig takes time and care, constructing a study brick house that withstands the wolf's attempts.
From a therapeutic perspective, this story reflects how we often face stress and challenges in our own lives. It shows that rushing through problems or seeking shortcuts may provide temporary relief, but it often leaves us unprepared for what comes next. Taking the time to act deliberately, to plan and invest in our wellbeing, strengthens our inner "house", helping us navigate difficulties with greater stability.
One way to bring this lesson into your own life is through a short mindfulness exercise. Begin by reflecting on a current challenge you are facing. Visualize it as a house you are building. Are you rushing through it, or are you taking deliberate, thoughtful steps? As you breathe deeply, imagine each breath as a solid brick, steady and intentional. With each inhale, acknowledge your efforts; with each exhale, release the urge to rush or take shortcuts. Finally, consider one mindful action you can take today- perhaps setting a boundary, pausing before reacting, or approaching a task with care- that will strengthen your own emotional "house".
Fairy tales may begin with “once upon a time,” but their wisdom lives in the present moment, the very heart of mindfulness. Transformation begins the moment we truly notice what’s happening inside and around us. As therapists, storytellers, and humans navigating our own winding paths, we can use these narratives not just for nostalgia, but as gentle guides, helping us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we may have forgotten. Because maybe, just maybe, mindfulness is the modern magic that turns our everyday struggles into something meaningful, our very own happily ever after.
Join me in the next post to see what we can learn from Cinderella.
Until next time- be kind to your mind.
—The Therapist Diaries
For professional inquiries please reach out to georgina.m.lloyd@outlook.com
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