As a youngster I loved to tell scary stories. I’d often have friends over and we’d spread sleeping bags out in the basement, bring down all sorts of snacks, and turn off all the lights. Then the stories began. They were fun and we’d laugh and scream and eventually get exhausted and fall asleep. These were the harmless stories.
There’s another kind of story that tends to do a lot more damage. These are the negative stories we tell ourselves that define and limit who we are, and we become the stories we tell. In my latest book I remind readers to pay attention to what they’re saying about themselves and change their dialogue if the stories aren’t getting them what they need.
As an example, for many, many years one of the stories I told myself was that because I hadn’t completed my education early on, I wasn’t as smart as every other individual on the planet because everyone, except me, had completed college. Never mind this was completely untrue, and never mind that I had taught facilitators and some professors at various colleges, it did nothing to dispel my feelings of inadequacies. I don’t think I ever managed to overcome that stigma until I completed
my graduate studies.
Could it be time to assess what you’re telling yourself, if it isn’t serving you well? These stories are twice as scary as the ones of my youth because as long as we believe they are true, we are stuck living this version of reality. Taking the time to assess what’s not working in your life, identifying the story you are repeating, and knowing there are other options and other stories, is a formula for growth, change and fulfillment.
Until we take care of ourselves and our stories, we can’t be as effective as a leader, parent, friend, spouse or anything significant. Today is a great time to get going!
