It's Time To Change Your Story & Your Life
We are all storytellers. Knowingly or unknowingly, we spend most of our lives telling stories. We all have stories going on in our heads, day in day out. It's an intrinsic part of being human. Through stories, we get our messages across more clearly and in a more engaging manner.
As storytellers, we are creators engaging in the act of creating compelling content that make up the composition of our lives. Storytellers live in the real world but believe in a world that could be. Our narrative allows others insight into who we are and what we are about. It grants us the ability to share our values and inspire others.
The tales we spin reflect our experiences and beliefs. We take the disparate pieces of our lives, shape them with meaning and purpose and piece them together to form our narrative. These stories are marked by the highs and lows of our personal accounts. The interesting thing about stories, however, is that you don't just tell them to others, you also tell them to yourself. These narratives affect how we view and approach life.
YOUR STORY REVEAL HIDDEN FEATURES OF YOUR PERSONALITY
You may not have realized that the stories you tell say more about you than the story itself. It does not mean good or bad, it is simply that. At some point, you have to consciously decide if you want to keep that version of the story. Becoming aware of your own narratives enables you to be more intentional in life. It helps you choose your response to any set of circumstances.
The problem arises when you live in a reactive state and are at the whim of the stories you believe about yourself. In this state, your happiness or unhappiness is entirely dependent upon circumstances outside your control.
Our stories have the power to scare us, uplift us, inspire us, or it can wreak havoc in our lives. The thing is, these stories are always made-up. We all subconsciously made up stories that are not even true about other people and even about ourselves. These stories are released into the world and when persisted, they manifest as reality in our world.
WHAT DO YOU TELL YOURSELF THROUGHOUT THE DAY
I have always been a dreamer of big dreams and ridiculous plans. But the reality almost always turns out different because of the story I told myself. I believe I wasn’t enough. As long as I continued to tell myself that story, I would continue to make choices that keep me stuck in that rut. At times, I would be gripped and paralyzed by the negativity that repeatedly flows in my mind, I could barely function, as if spellbound.
The way you interpret your stories reveal how you perceive reality. This does not mean that your stories are real but they definitely appear real to you. Your thoughts start spiraling and you wind up going around in circles. It's like being pushed and pulled by the wind in different directions. If you accept that life is stacked against you, pretty soon, you are on your way to a meltdown.
You either walk in your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.
– Brene Brown
Consider what are you telling yourself right now? What do you tell yourself throughout the day? What if the stories you’re telling are sabotaging your satisfaction and fulfillment?
THE EPIC SAGA CONTINUES
Your identity is your own epic saga. The tale of one who seems to have everything but is miserable in his picture-perfect life. It’s about who you are and where you are going, and how you give purpose and meaning to life. It’s what you really believe is possible, not what you say is possible. Those deep-down convictions about how things will turn out as your story unfolds.
There are piles of books stacked inside you, filled with tales, tragedies, comedies and everything in between, written in the inner stillness of your mind. You’re constantly spinning stories about who you are, what you deserve, how your world will evolve and what role you will be playing in that world. It's the way you integrate facts and events internally, forming the narrative that becomes your identity.
People limit themselves by deciding they can’t do something before even trying. These limiting beliefs lead to self-doubt that can be compared to a parasite that feeds on their self-esteem and self-worth. They tell themselves, “This is silly,” or “Why bother?” Unconsciously they close themselves up to any possibility, hamper their personal growth and fall short of success.
The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it.
– Jordan Belfort