Someone once told me that we are great storytellers. At first, I’ve to admit I didn’t quite follow, though it certainly left me wondering. Bear with me for a second and try to remember the last time you had a one-on-one with yourself. It does not have to be a “in front of the mirror” or “out loud” monologue, just the last time you told something about yourself to Your Self. Probably you don’t have to think hard…as we usually do it every single day more than once. If you really think about it, we are constantly telling ourselves something – a story, if you may. A narrative sometimes full of details, often about our failures, our misfortune, our weaknesses, our lack of time to do whatever it is we need to do.
Just take a moment to reflect: What are you really telling yourself? What is the actual story here? Next, I’d ask: What would you like to be telling yourself instead? And what is preventing you from doing it? Again, we can be the most convincing storytellers ever. We believe in every single word we tell ourselves with such strength that it becomes the sole truth, even when it’s not. This also means that the narrative is written by us. We are the authors of our own stories. What would happen if you’d dare to change the script?
Go ahead and picture the most powerful tale within the realm of your imagination. What do you see? What do you hear? Which voice is that whispering in your ear? And what is it telling you about yourself? More often than not, we let ourselves believe the worst. Perhaps because it feels easier to keep living within the boundaries of our comfort zone, even when it is extremely uncomfortable or painful. It could be that our hurtful past experiences are incredibly deep-rooted clouding our self-judgement. Whatever story you are telling yourself, you are always in time to change it. Adapt it. Rewrite it. Start today by telling yourself the story you want to live.
