You are not your Stories. You are the Story-Teller.

When I was a child, I loved stories. Whether I experienced stories through books, story-telling time or in movies, I loved getting lost in these other worlds. Some of my favorites were: Where the Wild Things Are, Star Wars, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Ah, the memories. At some point, though, the stories ended. With a sigh, I'd close the book or end the movie, and return to reality.

But sometimes there are stories that don’t end – and they blend into and become reality. These are stories that you hear from your parents, your school, television, or your place of worship (if you grew up with one). 


Maybe you’re familiar with some of these stories:

• You have to work hard for your money.
  
• Life isn’t fair.
• This is a dog eat dog world.
• The worst thing in life is to end up alone.
• Money is the root of all evil.

This is a list of popular sayings, yes, but they also are stories. Each paint a picture of how the world works.

The thing about these stories is that when you hear them over and over again, it’s easy to start to believe them. For example, let's take the story that "you have to work hard for your money." 

• Your parents tell you that you have to work hard for your money, so you make sure to work hard to get good grades so you could eventually make good money. 
• Your teachers tell you that you have to work hard for your money, so make sure you choose a good-paying career that’s safe and secure. 
• Your boss tells you that you have to work hard for your money, so you work from early morning until night, taking little lunch breaks, and bring your work home with you.

Everyone around you is telling the same story! When you believe the stories, the stories become your life. The stories create the identity of who you think you are. In some cases, you pass these stories on to others, like little children, who then go through the same cycle. Lather, rinse, repeat.

But guess what? The stories are just that – stories. Just as you picked up a book as a child, you can put that book down again. The stories are not who you are. The truth is – You are the Story-Teller.

This month, I’ve opened the doors to my program “Re-Write Your Money Story.” Money stories are beliefs, emotions and experiences you hold that affect your relationship with money. Each of us carries a money story (more than one, actually), and some of those money stories negatively impact your life. You know you’re carrying a negative money story if you feel stressed out or anxious when you think about money, or if you’re afraid to look at or even think about your money. For more info about this program click here: Re-Write Your Money Story Program.

As the Story-Teller, you get to re-write your story and choose a different path that the story takes. Even if you had a bad experience earlier in life, you can use what’s called a “re-frame” and choose to look at the story from a different perspective.

So here’s your coaching assignment for the week:

• Look at one thing in your life that you’d like to change. This could be something big or something small. Something small might be wanting to eat more vegetables.
• See what the story might be underneath that thing you want to change. For example, you might not be eating vegetables because you have a story that vegetables are bland and not tasty.
• Once you have that story, see if you can think of another story that supports the new change you’d like to make. For example, a new story could be that you can find recipes that make vegetables tasty and delicious. The internet is full of great, simple recipes.
• With that new story, make a plan of action and then do it. Action helps to ground your new story and give it life. And remember to celebrate!

The trick to re-writing a story is to uncover the underlying story in the first place. Once you find the story, then you get to choose whether to keep that story or replace it with another one. The process isn’t always easy, but it is transformative and it is do-able. How do I know that? Because I know in my heart that you are not any of your stories. You are the master Story-Teller. Now go forth and create your Life Story, just as if you were the writer, actor and director of your own movie. Namaste.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about the stories you carry in your life. Please leave a comment below. And if you need some extra support, know that I am available to be a listening ear and provide some guidance if you'd like clarity on how to find and re-write your story. Click here to contact me for a free clarity session with prayer.

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