Your Mind, The Movie & Mental Loops
I recently watched the latest Avengers movie. Well—the new Avengers. Some might argue they’re the “rejects” of the Marvel universe, the ones who didn’t quite make the A-team.
But if you put all that judgment aside, what you’ll find is this:
A movie that’s not just entertaining—it’s deeply, surprisingly real. It’s about the human experience. It’s about mental health. And it’s about suffering.
There’s a scene—no real spoiler, it’s in the trailer—where the “bad guy” seems to kill people, leaving behind only a black stain. But here’s the twist: they’re not dead.
They’re trapped. Not physically—but mentally. Inside their own shame rooms. They’re alive, but reliving their worst regrets and fears on loop. Scenes from their past playing out over and over in their minds. Each one locked in a prison of their own shame. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Because here’s the truth: We do this too.
We keep ourselves stuck in our own shame rooms. Locked inside by old thoughts that feel true, even if they no longer are. Replaying the things we got wrong. The things we didn’t say. The people we hurt. The moments we felt powerless.
I know this pattern well—I lived there for years.
Recently, I had a moment with someone in my life. A seemingly small miscommunication spun out into what felt like DEFCON 4. And even though I had shown up open-hearted and present, the interaction echoed an old shame story. I could feel the walls of my old shame room beginning to rise again. But this time—I watched it happen. And that changed everything.
I didn’t make myself wrong.
I didn’t make the other person wrong.
I didn’t try to fix it.
I just observed.
I became the watcher.
And in that stillness, I heard something deeper.
I heard love.
I heard truth.
I heard the version of me that no longer believed the old movie.
It reminded me of Yelena—the assassin from Marvel—who reaches back to protect her younger self. And then, she does something wild: She extends that same grace to the antagonist. And that becomes the game-changer.
Because this is freedom:
Realizing it’s all a movie.
Realizing you’re the director.
Realizing you can write a new scene at any time.
Realizing you can love even your “problem dogs.”
Realizing popcorn is still delicious, even when the plot gets messy.
A few weeks later, that DEFCON 4 moment?
I reopened the conversation. And it turned into one of the most beautiful, connective experiences we’ve ever had.
So, if you’re sitting in your shame room right now, I want to tell you: The door is open. It always has been.
You don’t have to fix the story.
You don’t have to heal everything first.
You just have to remember—it’s a movie.
And you are the author of your own script.
So…
Roll the credits.
Or write a sequel.
Either way—don’t forget the popcorn.
Because life is meant to be watched, laughed at, cried through, and fully lived.
Ready to step out of the loop and into your next chapter?
If this post stirred something in you, if you're feeling the nudge that it’s time to write a new scene, let’s talk. Book a free discovery session and let’s explore what’s keeping you stuck and how to shift into the life that’s waiting for you. The door’s open. You just have to walk through it.