Change Your Story; Change Your Life

When was the last time you told someone the story of your life? We don't come upon these opportunities often, but when we do, it's extremely telling not only about our perspective on life, but also about how the rest of our life will unfold! Who said crystal balls don't exist? Just listen to yourself talk, and you'll know all there is to know.

What Our Stories Reveal

You've heard and told your share of stories, chatting with moms at the kids' swimming lessons, sitting in the middle seat on a long flight, or in the chair at the beauty salon. People tell their stories, and when they do, it's a unique opportunity for examination. It isn't so much what has or hasn't happened that's important, but their perception of what's happened that's key. That perception reveals core beliefs and determines how life will continue to unfold. Same goes for you!

Knowing this, it seems wise to pay attention to how we tell our own life stories. If we spot our personal sabotage in the story, we can change how we tell it and create a more positive perspective. That's not saying we should create fiction when we talk about our lives, but just pay attention to the beliefs we hold about what's happened and what's possible for us.

Victim or Thriver?

I was surprised to overhear a friend summing up my history with men by saying I had a string a failed relationships and no hope of finding "the one." Ugh! I was about to disagree with her when I realized it would be very easy to interpret my experience in that light, although I certainly saw it differently. I thought of myself as a lucky girl who had the opportunity to meet, know, and have fun with a wide variety of men and relished the fact that I wasn't searching for "one" but rather was having fun with "lots!" Both of us spoke the truth from our personal perspective, but I like my version better!

Here's another example of how easily perspectives can change. Paula is just re-entering the dating scene after her second divorce. As she meets new people, she retells the story of her life. It goes something like: "I was raised Mormon by a mother suffering from depression and a father who was manipulated by his wife throughout their entire marriage. The boys in the family were favored over the girls, and we girls didn't get much love or attention from anyone. I never felt included or supported."

Can you imagine the feelings this story creates for Paula each time she tells it? Neglect, lack of love, and resentment are natural by-products of a narrative like this. The truth is just a matter of perspective sometimes.

With a purposeful intention to focus on the positive, Paula's story could just as easily be: "I was raised in a close-knit community with strong family values, by parents who had little to give, but never gave up doing their best for us kids. They had a houseful of us, and growing up with siblings really enriched my life. I learned a lot from mom and dad about myself and the type of parent and wife I wanted to be."

From victim mentality to survivor and even to thriver is sometimes just a matter of what reality you present to yourself and others. There's something good to be found in every experience - and gaining that viewpoint regularly will change the way your path unfolds!

What's Your Story?

So what story are you telling? Is your mother-in-law interfering in your marriage? Are your genes preventing you from good health? Do you not have enough time in the day to take care of yourself? Does your employer discriminate against people like you?

What story would you rather tell? Believe it or not, it all starts with your story - with what you believe is possible. Tell the story first, or at least stop telling the one that doesn't work, and THEN your life will reflect new possibilities. And it will be a pleasure to hear your story as a seatmate on your next transatlantic flight!

Jeannette Maw is an Attraction Coach and founder of Good Vibe Coaching. She is dedicated to helping people harness the power of the Law of Attraction to consciously create what they want in life.

More Resources

What the Young Man Heard
In the latter half of the 1800s, when the telegraph was still "high tech," a young man in Baltimore, Maryland, woke up one summer morning giddy with excitement. In fact, it had taken him half the night to get to sleep at all.
Charm Is Good Business
What's most astounding is that the vast majority of business people don't automatically understand the concept of charm. You'd think it would be a reflex, a conditioned response in business to "turn on the charm" when dealing with customers, clients, associates, employees, competitors, or potential clients.
Theres No Glory In Being The Richest Man In The Graveyard!
What was your energy level like today? Did you wake up this morning like Tony the Tiger feeling Grrr---ate?.? Did you jump into all your activities today with enthusiasm? Were you rarin' to go at the first chance? Did your "get-up-and-go" rare up and roar, or, did it get up and went?Down For The Count!Well, if your get-up-and-go got up and went, let's see if we can do something about it.
How to Escape Out of Thought Traps?
Have you ever been really sure about something, only to find out you were mistaken?Did you notice how you operated "as if" you were correct? You may have even seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled the world in a way to support your stance. And perhaps you felt you had solid logic to support this position.
The Friend Crush: Is This Love Or Friendship
He's your good friend. She's your best confidant.
What Do You See When You Look In The Mirror?
'Image & Professionalism' we hear these words being thrown around in conversation like cheap tokens, almost as frequently as their counterparts 'quality', 'service', and 'value'. So what does 'Image & Professionalism' really mean, and what do you see when you look in the mirror?A funny thing happens when you overuse a word.
Beads-A Sign of the Times?
When you hear the word "beads," do you immediately think of jewelry? Or do you think of Rosary beads or some other non-jewelry use of beads-beaded dresses, headbands, belts? Perhaps you think of a country and western outfit, a studded, head-to-toe piece of jewelry.The first thought that enters your mind when you hear the word "beads" may date you and give away your age faster than physical attributes.
Follow Your Passion
The key to a successful life lies in following your passions. When you do this the Universe responds in a dynamic way.
How to Attract Wealth
Have you been struggling with making ends meet? Are you tiredof not having enough? Then I am sure you will benefit enormouslyby reading on..
Are You a Wildflower?
Wildflowers grow from mere dust to reach their full potential.Wildflowers grow well, even in adverse soil conditions.
Doing Your Lifes Work
Most people want to do their life's work. Some people are able to separate work completely from life and be happy doing anything, but this is not the norm.
What You Sow You Reap!
Go into the fields and country lanes in the spring-time, and you will see farmers and gardeners busy sowing seeds in the newly prepared soil. If you were to ask any one of thosegardeners or farmers what kind of produce he expected from the seed he was sowing, he would doubtless regard you as foolish, and would tell you that he does not "expect" at all, that it is a matter of common knowledge that his produce will be of the kind which he is sowing, and that he is sowing wheat, or barley, or turnips, as the case may be, in order to reproduce that particular kind.
5 Simple Ways To Overcome Shyness
Shyness is nothing to be ashamed of and you can overcome it when you learn the right way to go about it. The problem is that you have not been exposed to accurate, proven ways to deal with shyness.
Make A Superb First Impression
It is extremely important that people have a good first impression of you. Either you make a good impression or you will suffer for it! It is going to affect how your contact views you for the rest of that conversation.
October: A Month of Personal Harvest
October is hands down my favorite month. Every year l look forward to a visit to Lynd's Fruit Farm in Pataskala, Ohio.
Abundance is a Feeling
This question and answer interview was done by Kathy Smith, one of Michael's loyal Virtual Assistants. Visit her website.
A Fun Way To Make A Living
"You must be willing to do the things today others won't do, in order to have the things tomorrow others won't have." -Les BrownI had planned to spend that Saturday morning quietly at home with my family.
My Eight Success Secrets
These eight success secrets apply to anything you do in life, not just to doing business offline or online.First: LOVE is the foundation of everything--love for whateveryou do and for others.
The Keys To Faster Evolution
Prosperity is management of positive energy. It's individual capacity to pour energy out in the world and re-circulate back in our life.
What Message Are You Sending Out?
A woman phoned me the other day to ask me about a product that someone else was selling. It was something she really wanted.

More Attraction Information:

Related Articles

Does Size Matter?
Bigger is better. Isn't that the American dream?Why buy a road-hogging, critter-squishing, bumper-defying, wall-of-metal SUV when you have the delicious option of buying a BIGGER road-hogging, critter-squishing, bumper-defying, wall-of-metal SUV?Why settle for a puny three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow of our parents' generation nestled comfortably on a green plot of land with a few nice shade trees? In new "developments" these days, you can choose a two-storey home bulging beyond the property line of today's incredible shrinking lots, complete with a bedroom that can sleep 34 PLUS a walk-in closet that sleeps another 20 AND an ensuite bathroom big enough to store your SUV when your 300-cubit-long garage is full of toys or tools.
How to Develop the Genius within You
Inside each one of us there's a seed of greatness, a seed of genius. You are a special and complete human being and so is everyone else.
Would You Rather Be Wealthy?
Would you rather be wealthy or poverty-stricken? Not a difficult question to answer, is it? How do you think your thoughts impact on your financial state?Just as the earth contains in its depths great riches--oil, diamonds, gold, uranium, silver, gas and countless other things--you also have the real riches of life deep within you. Your innate intelligence and your willingness to use your mind are precious.
A Life of Adventure?
In a conversation recently, a friend remarked to me: "Every man dies, but not every man lives." If you think about it, that is profoundly true and rather disturbing.
October: A Month of Personal Harvest
October is hands down my favorite month. Every year l look forward to a visit to Lynd's Fruit Farm in Pataskala, Ohio.
You Too Can Have Charisma
Do you know anyone that everyone seems to be drawn to? You continue to watch as this person moves around the room attracting and chatting with and making friends with manypeople.What do they have that you don't think you have? Charisma.
The Powerful Mastermind Team
Your Access to AchievementA few years ago I read the book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I remember being very intrigued by the title and wondered "How could anyone grow rich just by thinking?When I first began to grasp a fragment of what the book was revealing about success, I was reading it again as a result of a business I was working with.
How Often Each Day Should I Read or Say My Desire Statement?
The purpose of the Desire Statement is to support you in giving attention, energy and focus to your newly birthed desire. It teaches you how to language desires so they feel good.
4 Important Conversation Tips for Your Personal and Professional Lives
If you are searching for a way to improve your communication skills at work and in your personal life, here are some conversation tips that will give you a good starting point.Your personal and business environments may be very different, but the skills needed to communicate effectively are basically the same.
Ego, Arrogance, and Self-Esteem
The pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain are not our only motivators. Whether you realize it or not, our underlying purpose in life is to define and pursue our true purpose in life.
Success Is In Your Hands - For Things To Change, I Must Change First!
Do you know that many people feel they cannot achieve what they want in life because they are not in control of their circumstances? Is it really so?How many times have you heard this: "If only I had creativity like him, I would be able to develop innovative Internet Marketing products," or "if only I had the money to start the e-commerce business, then I would be able to set up a business"? Do you know that all these things are within our control the moment we change ourselves?It sounds unbelievable but it's true! This requires a shift in your paradigm of thinking and it moves you from a powerless state to a state where you can actually take control. We will now take a look at 3 ordinary people like you and me who are able to achieve what they want in life through this simple principle.
More For Me Means More For You
How would you like to have what you want AND at the same time create a situation through which many people benefit? That can happen when you are bold enough to leverage the Universal Law of Attraction to attract more of what you want.Soon after moving into my new harborside condo, I sat down and made a list of all the people who made money from my decision to fulfill a lifelong dream to "live near the ocean".
Power Affirmations Are Not Enough
I hope this article finds you safe and well. I'm sure you have been as moved as I have in watching the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Birthing Your Dream
Are you ready to birth a dream and not sure about the process, wondering if you are stepping out too far this time? Will God bless your dream, or is it His dream you're nurturing? Consider a pregnant woman. We've all had opportunity to observe the process, if not actually experience it.
Limiting Perceptions and Broadening Horizons
If you live in modern society I'm sure at some point in your life you've sat in a window seat of an airplane looking down at the fluffy blanket of clouds and thought to yourself, 'Wow, it's so big and flat, fluffy and soft, I wonder what it would feel like to lay down on that super-soft mattress.' Well, think about what Socrates, Lao Tsu, Confucius, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Moses or Mohammed would have thought if they saw the same sight that we pretty much take for granted as 'normality'.
Courage to Change
This is a story about a woman we will call Anne, a thirty-five-year-old woman who concluded that she could never find a man. She determined that loneliness was her fate and thus went as far as accepting it as fact.
Creating Your Future
The questions of life may call to you. You may wonder about your purpose.
Do You Want Raspberry, Chocolate Or Vanilla?
Descartes once wrote, "I think, therefore I am!" and 'hidden' in plain view amongst those five small words - for all the world to see - lays the secret to unlimited success. Do you see it? Oh all right? I'll 'fess up.
How Do You Choose To Deal With Your Life?
"It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny." --Jean NidetchIt is not what happens to us in our lives that is important, but how we choose to deal with it.
Are You a Wildflower?
Wildflowers grow from mere dust to reach their full potential.Wildflowers grow well, even in adverse soil conditions.