The stories we tell to ourselves

It might be one of the strongest predictors for our capacity to leave a mark on the world. But how often do we challenge the stories we tell ourselves and test if they’re helping us? How often is it “I’m not good enough” or “if only I had this…”? How often do we consider if it’s a story that is holding us back or something that allows us leap into the realm of possibility?

Neil Gaiman has a quote I love: “Fiction is the lie that tells the truth, after all”.

What I love about this quote is that while it acknowledges that stories are just that, stories, challenging our understanding of truth or lies, but more importantly, it shows a very intentional purpose of stories, turning them into a set of deliberate choices towards creating change within and between us.

What if the stories we told ourselves could function the same way? If we were more deliberate, more intentional, would this bring us closer to the change we want to make in the world? What are we bored with? Frustrated with? Curious about? What will we do about it?