What stories do you tell yourself?

You've been hit by a wave of emotion. It's intense and infinitely mind-boggling.

Millions of thoughts come rushing in. Without noticing it, you lose touch with your body and get stuck in your head.

Chains of thought follow each other, lining up in your mind like a colony of ants. Suddenly, you're hooked. You don't remember how it started and you certainly don't know how it's going to end. But you let it add up.

Before you know it, you've constructed a whole story. An imaginary story you eventually come to believe with every fibre of your being. A story that might forever remain unquestioned and yet ends up becoming a made up reality into which you heedlessly attempt to squeeze in life.

........................

Stories inevitably affect the decisions we make and the actions we take.

• What stories am I telling myself today?

• What recurring story do I tell myself when I embark on a new project or face an unforeseen obstacle?

• Do I often put myself down or encourage myself to keep going? How do I talk to myself when I've had a bad day? Am I kind, patient and compassionate with myself? What about if I make a mistake or become frustrated, angry or sad? What do I tell myself, then?

• How do I talk to my body when I look in the mirror?

• What unspoken stories do I keep repeating to myself and how might they be holding me back?

• Is there any way I could change the narrative of that story to reflect the truth of who I really am and what I am actually feeling?

• How are stories affecting my reality? Do I see life through the filter of my stories?