You can completely change how you feel, change the results you’re getting, and change your relationship to anything, by changing your story.
You definitely don’t have to change anything. If you want to keep resenting someone, want to keep feeling guilty or powerless or overwhelmed … you can keep your usual story and there is no problem.
But if you’d like to change, consider using story as a tool for that change.
Here’s how it could work:
- Identify the feeling, result or way of relating to something that you’d like to change. Examples: I eat a lot of junk food, I am constantly frustrated by people, I can’t stop looking at social media.
- See if you can identify the story that is responsible for that. Examples: Junk food comforts me when I’m stressed; people shouldn’t act that way; I need social media apps on my phone to stay connected.
- Identify a new result, feeling or way of relating to something that you’d like instead. Examples: I want to eat more vegetables and love healthy food; I want to see the good in people and be more accepting; I want to read books whenever I would normally look at social media.
- Draft a new story that will help you get that. Examples: Veggies and fruit nourish my body and make me feel amazing; there’s a loving heart behind every person’s action; when I have downtime, I treat myself to reading a good book.
- Remind yourself to tell yourself this new story every time it would help. This takes a lot of practice, so create a story that you don’t need to be perfect at this, but that you’ll be persistent because you care deeply about this.
Create a new story for yourself, and practice.
Here are some examples of stories that have helped me recently:
- Every moment is sacred and has something to teach me.
- I look for the light in each person.
- I need only simple, nourishing foods.
- I can be with any fear or emotion.
- I am deeply committed to the results I want to create.
- Movement and the outdoors light me up.
- I care for my life by tending to finances, my health, and messages to people I care about.
- I savor stillness and quiet.
What stories would cause a powerful shift for you?