Stories dictate our world

I often say that my workshops are about people finding and sharing their stories. I create a place for people to slow down and connect to themselves and what often happens, as they share their art and experience of the visualisation, is that people connect to and share the important stories of their life.

I always feel honoured to be invited to this retelling, where the story is wrapped in metaphor and symbolism, providing added meaning that was previously unknown to the storyteller.

It’s important to be active in understanding our stories, to take a moment to look at them from another angle and see what you missed the last time. Stories can become so static in our lives, and the limiting stories can keep us stuck in unhealthy patterns.

We tell ourselves these fixed stories of what we can and can’t do, of who we are and who we will never be able to be. These stories also require our attention. We have trodden out the plot so many times that we hardly hear the words anymore, yet they still dictate our actions and keep us walking on the same path.

Sometimes these stories aren’t even our own. Traditionally, stories were told in communities and passed down through the generations, little embellishments added along the way. The same can be said for family stories – repeated through word and action, until your body has memorised every letter.

Yet not all stories come whole, and not all stories we tell ourselves are true stories. Too many are told with fear, habit, and because they are the only ones we know.

Is it time to tell your stories? To give them a stage and really listen, so you can decide if this story is yours? When you find the true stories of your life, you may find they have a different ending.