What story are you telling yourself right now?
Change the narratives that shape your feelings and actions.
Our minds naturally create narratives about almost anything, including who we are, what we can do, what is happening around us, and the role others play in these events. These narratives shape how we feel, the choices we make, and how we experience life. They can lift us up or hold us back, often without us noticing. To become aware of our stories, we regularly need to ask ourselves:
🤔 What story am I telling myself right now?
Most situations and experiences are fairly neutral until we layer meaning onto them. A friend not replying right away might seem like rejection, when in reality they’re probably just busy. In the same way, a setback might look like proof you’re not capable, or a success like luck, but both can be seen as opportunities to grow. What happens is one thing; the story we tell about it is another.
Stories are interpretations, not facts, and are not always true. Recognizing this gives you the motivation and power to change unhelpful ones that hold you back. They take many forms: mindsets and beliefs, labels, identities, and expectations about the future.
Most stories unfold unnoticed. When times seem challenging, make your story visible by noticing your thoughts without judgment and writing them down. Once you recognize it, consider how it affects your feelings, actions, and well-being, and whether it moves you toward your goals or holds you back. Even small pauses to question your narrative create space to reframe it. For example, see mistakes as lessons instead of failures. Rethinking your stories helps you act with clarity, make better choices, and stop being held back by unhelpful patterns.
Changing your narratives is like editing a movie to tell a more empowering story, or updating software to replace outdated stories with ones that help you move forward.
Identify one story today, like telling yourself you’re not good enough at your job or that a conflict with a friend means you’re unlikeable. Notice how it affects your feelings and choices, then experiment with more constructive interpretations. Practicing this regularly helps you respond deliberately, act with confidence, and keep moving toward your goals even when unhelpful stories arise.
Choose stories that move you forward, not hold you back.
Further reflections
A set of additional questions to help you uncover and reshape the stories you tell yourself.
🤔 What else could this mean to you?
🤔 What do you want this to mean?
🤔 How do you know this is true?
🤔 What unhelpful stories are you telling yourself about the past?
🤔 What limiting stories are you assuming about the future?
🤔 How would you act if you believed a more empowering story?
