Who doesn’t love a good story? When you think of your favorite book, I am guessing it involves a compelling, maybe even exciting and adventurous story. When you reflect on your favorite movie, how does the story make you feel? When you remember great times with friends, and the laughs you shared, it’s my guess you are reminiscing on stories from the past. We love other people’s stories, however, not so much our own. The thing to understand, however, is that it’s your story that will determine the outcomes in your life. So, can I ask you to reflect on the stories you are telling yourself about you?

Whether you know it or not, you are telling yourself a story right now, as you read this. I know that to be a fact because I do the same. Every time I read or listen to something designed to help me in my life, like this blog is for you, I rinse the information through my story filter. As a result of the stories I tell myself, I am determining what information is relevant and what is and isn’t possible for me. You are possibly doing the same and, just like many stories you enjoy, often the story you are telling yourself is fiction. You have just told yourself the same story for so long, you have come to believe it. This story is affecting every area of your life.

I started telling myself a story at a very young age that has impacted my whole life. The story was that I was not worthy, and that I needed to achieve certain things, look a certain way, and accumulate certain belongings to be loved. Wow! That story screwed up my head and consequently the heads of other wonderful people. I now know that story to be a massive lie, but not before it impacted my thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that destroyed many relationships, and hurt too many people. What story are you telling yourself?

I am still impacted by crazy fictional stories that I have believed for too long. That I am not good enough. That I am not worthy to be loved or have the capacity to love. That I have trouble taking things to the next level. I don’t even know what the next level is. Some euphoric fictional state I believe I need to attain. Rubbish, lunacy, and lies. I am now very much focused on understanding the stories that are holding me back, and the ones I want that will move me forward. Can I recommend you do the same?

Stop for a minute and reflect on the story you are telling yourself right now as I say that you are good enough just as you are. If that story is; absolutely correct, I am good enough, I am loving my life, and I am in the process of even greater health, happiness, and prosperity, then change nothing, you are right on track. If the story is something like: it’s okay for him, he doesn’t understand my situation, or, I’ve tried before and just can’t make it happen, or, I don’t deserve and am not worthy of happiness and success, then for your own sake, start to change the story.

How do you do that? Great question. Assuming you have some goals and aspirations in your life, I just want to offer three simple steps. The first is to get clear on the current stories you are telling yourself and identify how they are affecting your life. Secondly, find a mentor, an accountability partner, and a positive, supportive, and encouraging group of people to start associating with. Third, and maybe most important is to start creating new stories. What I mean is set yourself a simple daily task and commit to getting it done. Then, tomorrow do the same, then the next day and then the next.

For example, let’s say the story you are telling yourself is that you can never stick to a wellness regime, because you have tried and been unsuccessful so many times. Choose one thing you want to do today, like walk 10,000 steps. Call a friend or associate and tell them, or post your intention on social media, to help keep yourself accountable. Then simply commit to doing that one task today. When midnight rolls around, a new day dawns, and you wake up, commit to the same task again. What you will find with this one day at a time approach is that you will be gradually writing yourself a new story. Over a period, you will know in your heart you can, and do, stick to your wellness regime. This is an empowering and life-changing story. Once the 10,000 steps per day is an unconscious routine, you will be able to add one more daily task and follow the same procedure and keep growing to strengthen that story of success. Simple, right?

In my podcast this week called, Worthy and wonderful, it would have been very easy for Tracee Garner to tell herself the story that she was unable to achieve anything great. She has been in a wheelchair for many decades with Muscular Dystrophy, yet the story she told herself was that she could impact lives. She is now doing amazing things, including having authored and published almost 20 books. This is a conversation everyone would benefit from.

Today is a new day for you, and me. The stories we have been telling ourselves, the ones which have determined our reality to this point, can change, if we want them to. I know I do. Do you want to change anything in your life? As hard as you think it may be, it is actually very simple. All you have to do is change the story you are telling yourself and then watch the things around you change.