We are all born as a blank canvas, a canvas that our parents and people that we’re around get to write on. Every story that we live, every story that we’re told, leave an imprint on that canvas. What were the stories that you were told? Even if not expressed, what did the actions of those around you speak into your young mind and heart? Often the things we live out in our formative years become patters that we repeat, and the coping skills we used when young can become our biggest issues as adults. The stories we were told become the stories we tell ourselves.
I work with individuals to help explore these stories and to gain new understanding by exploring the characters involved. It may be that we don’t quite see the stories clearly and by exploring them we can take their power away.
One unique way that I like to explore story is something that I learned by helping people to tell their stories on my podcasts. What I’ve found is that when people express their story in an orderly way with a safe person that is coaching them through the story, it is very cathartic. With those stories being on a podcast individuals then get to go back and listen to themselves telling their own story in their own voice. Often one thing that keeps us stuck in life is a measure of denial about our own story. We fail to give weight to it. If someone else told the same story we might be inspired by what they overcame but when it is us things become normalized. When you listen back to your own story in your voice you are often given just enough distance to become the observer in your life, and that alone allows you to get new insights.
So I give people the opportunity to go through their life story and to record the audio so that they can listen back at a later date. I’ve seen tremendous breakthroughs from people doing this exercise alone.
Not everyone will be open to recording their story and that’s okay too. The act of going through the things you experienced and the stories you were told is very enlightening for your present life.