Flip that script, you are the author of your life!
Have you ever noticed how we continue to become attached to and walk around with a backstory that we have constructed over time? We make up this ‘story’ based on our memories, decisions and incidents that went wrong or right. These narratives become a means for us to make sense of our lives.
Many of our stories are about how we feel lost or trapped inside our own lives. We also enjoy the story of how “everyone’s life is better than mine” (thanks to social media, which makes everyone seem so happy all the time).
We imprison ourselves with limiting beliefs of who we are and stories that simply don’t do us any good. The I am unlovable, or nothing ever works out for me story is another famous one. We are enslaving ourselves with restricting assumptions about who we are and stories that are not serving us well.
Some of the stories we tell, though, are incorrect or incomplete. These are the types of tales that can tie us to the past. We tend to assume that our circumstances shape our stories, which in turn shape who we are. Have you considered the probability that the very opposite happens? Our lives are shaped by the way we tell our stories.
“If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.” –Ancient Chinese proverb
Change your story change your life!
I believe that if we can change our story, we can change our lives (and I am still working on it). Any negative self-perceptions you have about yourself should signal that it is time to shift your narrative. This is your life; you get to write the script.
Flip that Script
Consider whether your story is working for you or against you. You owe it to yourself to be the best version of yourself and to live your best life. Harness your own power to create the story (life) you want.
“We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.” – Tony Robbins.
Steps you can take to help you change your story
We must be able to recognize the negative thought patterns we have about ourselves. Jot down your story and detail what you are feeling and experiencing in your story? After that, flip that script, rewrite your story, change your perspective, re-phrase, and change the bad to good and negative to positive.
Let go of the old story
Writing a new chapter is like taking a step into the unknown. It is staring at a white page. We often hear that we need to get to know ourselves and who we are. A part of that process is also getting to unknow yourself. Unknowing will allow you to live your life and not the story you tell yourself about your life. And that is the first step to freeing ourselves from a narrative that no longer serves us.
Look at a story you’re telling yourself that isn’t serving you well. It could be about a current circumstance, a specific person in your life, a friendship, or even yourself. Then, write the story from another character’s perspective; the other character becomes much more empathetic right away, and the storyline begins to unfold. It’s the most challenging part but it’s also where things start to become interesting. What would happen if you rewrote your tale from the perspective of someone else? What would you say? What would that character do, how would they respond?
Once we can move away from first-person narration and write the story from another character’s viewpoint, the character becomes much more sympathetic, and the plot begins to open.
Journal make a list list of “can’ts” and “shoulds” and “I nevers,” and flip that script. Change it to I can and I will.
Once you know what the monster looks like, you can slay it.
Share with me what narratives you are stuck in, how you are going to flip that script? Remember, one person’s experience could be another’s motivation or survival guide.