# Overrides

## The Quiet Defaults

Life hands us default settings from the start. We wake to the same alarm, reach for coffee out of habit, snap at small frustrations without thinking. These are the unspoken programs running in the background—shaped by years of routine, family echoes, and the pull of what's easiest. They're not bad; they keep us moving. But on quiet mornings like this one, near the solstice on December 21, 2025, I notice how they dim the light we could let in.

## Choosing the Override

An override isn't a grand rebellion. It's a gentle pause: breathing deep before words fly out, picking a walk over the screen, saying yes to a conversation we'd usually skip. These choices rewrite the script in real time. Last week, I overrode my urge to scroll endlessly and called an old friend instead. His laugh filled the room, pulling me from winter's chill into something warmer.

Common overrides that shift everything:
- Swapping complaint for curiosity.
- Letting go of perfection for presence.
- Forgiving the day's stumbles before bed.

## A New Default Emerges

Over time, overrides become the new normal. What started as effort turns effortless, like sunlight lengthening after the solstice. We don't erase the old code; we layer better lines over it. In this way, overrides remind us: we're not locked in. Our story stays editable, open to sincere revisions that make room for more light, more connection.

*In the end, the kindest override is the one we give ourselves—permission to begin again.*