The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Everyday we tell ourselves and others stories. It’s the way we process information and make sense of the world around us. Many of these stories that inform the way we show up to the world come early influencers; our parents, friends, teachers, books, movies, church leaders etc. It doesn’t take much to dive into our past and find the time, location, and influencer that solidified a belief we have ourselves. This belief turns into a script that is repeated as we navigate where and how we fit into the world.

There stories can earmark our superpowers positioning us for success:

I don’t tell students to become actors because they starve, but I really think you need to act.

You’re studying public relations, I thought you would have done something bigger than that, like a lawyer.

I can see how you’re communicating with your partners, and there’s wisdom in it.

Or they can shed light on our weaknesses and our potential downfall:

What kind of person needs that much attention?

If you put a fraction of the energy you put into performance you might actually be able to do something.

Why did you say I would stand up for you? I’m not going to do that, you’re on your own.

Repeated over and over again these scripts become part of the fabric of our stories as we play them out daily. This repetition is a feedback loop that reinforces the belief and the story of who we are. Over a long enough time frame they become the perception of our reality.

• What scripts were you told that now part of your identity?
• Where did these scripts come from?
• Are you happy with them?
• Do you wish they were different?
• Have you been able to change any of these scripts?
• What was this process for you?