Let's say you are going about your day and you run into a problem. You may already have a strategy for dealing with this problem, or you may come up with one, but for some reason you keep getting the same outcome. Over and over again.
You may get depressed about your inability to solve the problem. Or you may stubbornly double down, work harder, and think you can just work the problem out by applying the same strategy.
Yet the problem lingers there, mocking you with its very existence and clinging power.
The problem is not the problem. It's the story that you tell yourself about it.
We are very story driven creatures. Our brains exist in a narrative state. Our very thoughts weave themselves into stories to help us make sense about everything.
The problem is, sometimes the stories we tell ourselves about things are the actual problem.
Especially if we are telling ourselves external factors are the reason behind our lack of progress regarding a problem we face.
For instance, most of my life has been spent seeking peace. The story I told myself is if I worked hard, limited risk, and kept my life as drama-free as possible, then I would feel peaceful.
That story is a horror story!
No matter what life throws at you, you can be at peace on the inside through application of sound reason no matter what you are going through. However the story I told myself relied on external factors behaving in a peaceful way.
Like that is ever going to happen.
"The answer to getting unstuck or jumping to the next level is the same: it comes down to the story you're telling yourself about your current reality--and that story is based in your brain."
Michael Hyatt
Now, I don't know about ya'll, but I am weary of being a victim of my own storytelling, especially when I have the capacity, the power to rewrite it.
In my case it's especially silly if I am living in a cycle of framing my reality with my own limited beliefs narrative. I am a freaking WRITER! Not only that, I am farmer too! If anyone can plant new neural pathways and coax them via a new narrative into flourishing, it should be yours truly!
Honestly though, discovering that it's the importance of the story I tell myself before I tackle a strategy for whatever it is I am facing is like breathing in a bit of fresh, invigorating air. I love to tell stories! That I could actually quit limiting my reality through bad patterns of behavior is beyond exciting!
And we all can do it! We all have the power to reframe our mindset no matter what we are facing.
We just need to rewrite the narrative so that we are no longer the victim of our external circumstances so that our internal selves can get cracking on whatever it is that we are facing.
Plus, becoming a professional in neuroplasticity and a self-development narrative growth specialist sounds pretty swell. Writing internal stories without excuses sounds like a ton of fun!
And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's full of others stories yet never spouting excuses iPhone, the header and footer images were made in Canva.
