Stories are powerful

“There is no greater power on this earth than story.” ~ Libba Bray

Stories are powerful things. Stories can engage us, celebrate us, set a direction, open our eyes to possibility, connect us to our personal power and can shift the culture of our workplaces and our communities. Stories set the tone for our lives.

Stories map our purpose

We can find our purpose mapped out in our past experiences. As human beings, we can also get lost in the stories of our past. When we find our purpose written in our past, we change how we tell our story and move forward with strength.

Our lives are a collection of stories

Our lives are a collection of stories each describing a part of our life experience. We are meaning makers and the way we tell our stories has meaning.  Our stories can be funny, sad and inspiring. They can be about challenges and failures, lessons learned and triumphs to be celebrated. Each story you tell has the potential to enrich your life and the lives of others.

Whose story are you living?

The narratives of our lives may be provided by our families, our communities, our workplaces, the media and the political environment. Those narratives may not align with who we are or who we would like to become, or they may be exactly what we need to thrive. Get curious about the stories you hold within you.

• How are those stories supporting your next becoming?

Notice the stories you tell yourself

We all have a running narrative in our heads that accompanies our every interaction. Begin to notice the stories you tell yourself. Observe your self-talk – without judgment.

• How does that inner voice make you feel?

You cannot change the experiences that you have had in your life. What you can do is change the narrative that runs in your head.

• Be compassionate to yourself
• Be your own best friend
• Speak to yourself in a reassuring way – You’ve got this.

Notice the stories you tell others

Start to notice the stories that you tell others about your life.

• What are the emotions are evoked as you tell your stories?
• What is the recurring themes of your stories?
• How do you feel after you tell your stories?
• What are you hoping to accomplish by telling the story?

Find the story or stories that make you feel most alive, confident, capable, inspired and connected to who you are. Tell those stories more often.

Notice the stories you tell about others

As humans, we tend to like to talk about each other. Notice the stories you share about others. Tell more stories that:

• Celebrate others
• Express gratitude for them
• Appreciate their gifts

Tell fewer stories that blame, complain or criticise others. Notice how your perspective changes.

How do you want to write your future?

Get in touch with the feelings you want to experience in your life. You may want to feel inspired, inspiring, loved, loving, relaxed, comfortable, secure, empowered. Whatever it is you want to feel, identify those feelings. Now write your future from that place. Remember you are amazing. You are capable. You are unique and your story deserves to be written by the empowered you. Alison