The Moment Before the Moment

There's a quote from Viktor Frankl that I love: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response."

In this episode, I add something to what he said. Because in my experience, there are actually two spaces at play. And the beautiful thing about both of them is that neither one is fixed. You can move them.

We're talking about the moment before the moment, the pause at the stop sign before your protection strategy takes the wheel. How to find it sooner. How to widen the space where conscious choice actually lives. And why this work eventually has to move out of your head and into your body.

I also share a story about my oldest daughter, and what I said to her when she called me with quiet shame in her voice to tell me her protection strategy had taken over again.

If you've been listening to this podcast and feeling something click but not quite knowing what to do with it yet, this is the episode where it gets practical.

In this episode:

• Why there are actually two spaces, and what Frankl's quote leaves out
• Why understanding your patterns intellectually and integrating them in your body are two completely different things
• What interoceptive awareness is and why it's the most practical tool for finding your stop sign sooner
• How to start building the capacity to catch your signals before the reaction takes over

Resources mentioned:

• 30-day guided body scan practice: mrscoachwatson.com/body-signals
• Live workshop, What If Your Patterns Aren't the Problem? - June 11th, 2026: mrscoachwatson.com/understanding-your-protection-strategy