This week, pay attention to the stories you tell…the ones you tell yourself and the ones you share with others. You missed a deadline. Does that internal critic take over and comment on your laziness? Does it remind you if you were more intelligent or more focused you would have completed the task? Or does the curious you take a look and notice an opportunity to create a different approach next time and learn from the experience?
When you spend time speaking with others, what stories are you sharing with them about your day, your life or a particular experience? What is your intention regarding what you are sharing? Are you interested in getting some support or doing some brainstorming? Are you discussing a tool or resource that somehow helped you or an inspiring experience you had?
In the days of tribal storytelling, members shared their experiences to pass down traditions and history, model community values and acknowledge each other for accomplishments or significant transitions. Stories were also a form of entertainment.
As we begin to take responsibility for the stories we tell ourselves and others, we can become more selective as to the message we are focusing on. When we tell ourselves we are not good enough, not smart enough, not working hard enough…all the less thans…we lower our energy and hold ourselves back.
As author of your life, you have the ability to rewrite your stories. Here are four quick tips to create a shift:
1. Instead of looking at something as a problem that has you stuck, rewrite it as a challenge you know you have the resources to solve.
2. Tell yourself THAT story instead of one that drains you.
3. Do the same in your communications with others. The more we can contribute, motivate and inspire, the better.
4. Once you clean up your stories, you can begin to notice what others are bringing to the conversation. Then decide if it is an interaction worth having.
There is value in storytelling and power in words. How might your life be different if you began to choose stories that build your energy bank account and create fuel to achieve your goals instead of writing tales of whoa or high level drama?
