“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
We spend our lives telling our life’s narrative – recounting the past and using that story to make an image of the present and future. Sometimes, these stories are helpful and perpetuate useful beliefs about our values, strengths and personal qualities. However, they can trap us in an unhelpful narrative that can leave us feeling self-conscious, anxious or unprepared to take on our dreams. It is important to be able to identify the narratives we trap ourselves in and determine whether they are helpful, or even founded in any evidence. The way we approach the present and the future is hugely dictated by these narratives and how we see ourselves within the world. It is like a huge world-sized screen play with yourself front and centre as the main character. How you see yourself within that play and how the tale unfolds is all about your perception of your reality. So, I encourage you to pay attention to the stories you tell yourself – positive, negative, or neutral – and see how they are impacting your decision making and the opportunities you decide to take or dismiss. Storytelling is powerful, and it is the way we most often communicate with each other about our identity, our feelings and how we see the world. However, it is important to understand that this is just an interpretation, and we get to decide what that interpretation is. We are actually in control, we have a choice! So why not make it the most positive and empowering version possible?
If you want help identifying your own narratives, guiding your mindset and using this to improve your performance – contact me, I would be honoured to help you.
