What does that mean?
We live our lives in stories. Each of us has a different story, perspective of reality. Each of us have different thoughts, feelings and actions to the facts. Facts being the undeniable truth, situation or circumstance that everyone can agree on.
Life is full of stories.
For example: take a family of five. You have a mother, father, and three children. Each child will have its own version of what life was like growing up in the home.
If you were to ask the mother about being married and raising three children she would give you some facts, but she would also give you her story. Her version of what it was like to raise the children. Moving to the father, you ask him the same questions and he will also have his own version of what it was like to be married and raise three children. Some of the things may be similar to the mother, but there will be many things that are different. The father may have worked outside of the home and was gone during the workday, were as the mother may have been the one home all day with the children.
They will each therefore, have their own perspective on being a parent. Parenting through different stages and so on as to what it was like to raises the children.
Now let’s look at the children for a moment. First, the oldest child was first born, they have time where they were the only child, they were the sole focus of the parents. Then the second child arrived.
The first child will have their story about childhood, as being the only child, and then being an older sibling to the second child. The second child will have a different version of the story, of their childhood. For one, they are the second born, they never experienced being an only child, like the first child had. They also have an older sibling, which will impact their story. As well as the older sibling will have a different perspective to having a younger sibling.
Enter a third child, now you change the version of the story once again. Just like the first two, they will have their version of childhood.
What is your life story?
We can use the above example of each having our own version in life. We have a story about who we are, what we want to be known for.
We can choose to believe what we want to believe about ourselves. We get to be the narrator of our own story. Just as the children and parents each have their version or story, we do too. So does everyone around us.
Are you worrying about what other people think?
So much of the time so many of us spend so much time thinking and worrying about what everyone else may be saying or thinking about us. We become so fixated on worry, it causes anxiety and fear. It also robs us of peace. This can lead to people pleasing mode. Trying to be something we “think” others want us to be. We lose sight of our own reality and aren’t authentic in who we are.
We start becoming someone that doesn’t align with our true values. We then allow our peace, happiness and fulfillment to diminished or taken from us. We give the power of our lives and our minds to others.
How can we regain our happiness?
We can regain our power, control, happiness and fulfillment. We can step back, check in and evaluate who we are currently and who we truly are and desire to be.
It is up to you how you show up each day.
Self evaluation questions:
Is how you show up today, each day, how you want to show up?
Are you being authentic in who you are?
Are you being the true version of yourself?
Who do you want to be?
How do you want to see yourself?
Envision yourself a year from now, who are you? What are you doing in your career, relationships, home, etc.?
What is the power you have?
You have the power over the story you tell yourself and how you choose to see yourself.
You don’t have to allow yourself to succumb to the pressures from society, culture and communities telling you who, how and what you should be.
You can change the stories about yourself and see your beauty, value and worth just as you are and continue to grow, evolve, and improve.
You can strengthen and improve your emotional, mental, and physical state.