Saturday, September 06, 2008

Your Story

Your Story: One of the greatest gifts of learning about manifesting is you finally learn that you are the creator of your story, your life. You get to write it. Much of your life so far (and perhaps all) has been based on the stories others told you and you believed. Some stories were wonderful and therefore you thrive in those areas. Most of the stories were limiting and have only served us by keeping us small in those areas of our life.

I recently learned first hand of the power of our stories. It seems like it is such an insignificant story, but it represents something so much larger for me. I love coffee. I love the smell and the taste. I stopped drinking coffee the day I handed in my research thesis for my masters. (I was up to a pot a day.) I quit mostly because I was cutting out chemicals from my diet and the only way I could make the coffee sweet enough for my taste was with sweet-n-low. Anyway, I have told this story for years — I graduated in 1996 — you do the math. “I just can’t drink coffee without sweet-n-low”. (Feel free to add a whine and self-pity to that sentence — it was always full of it.) Whenever I tell the story, I also add that I miss it. I love the smell and my husband makes delicious coffee every morning so I smell it a lot. Finally, about a month ago, when I was telling this story for the umpteenth time, my husband said, “You have got to stop telling that story. You have changed so much who you are. Why don’t you try coffee today, right now, with your new consciousness.” I did and I loved it!! I put in a single teaspoon of sugar and I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor. I had told that story for years and it had truly affected me and how I was living.

Granted, the story is insignificant perhaps, but I really got in that moment the power of our stories. What do you tell yourself that is negative about your financial situation? Your job? Your marriage? Your weight? Your business? Your home? Your children? If it is negative or something you don’t like, then rewrite your story. We assume today will be just like yesterday. Today can be completely different if you allow it. You can change on a dime, really. Sometimes it takes longer, but it doesn’t have to. It is really as simple as saying, “I am ready for this to be different.” Then you need to decide what you want, or better yet, how you want to feel, and begin to strive for that feeling. Your story is only a story and it can be changed.

A great start to writing your new story comes from a great book I am reading called, Zero to Zillionaire by Chellie Campbell. She says to write the story of your life so far with only the highlights. Tell about all the wins in your life, all the silver linings. (She also recommends writing your story from the perspective of your losses, but I do not recommend spending any time there — although it is quite illuminating!) Start your day reading of your exploits and see how your day unfolds.

No comments: