It is easy to get trapped by stories we tell ourselves.
When we’re 18 (or even younger), many of us tell ourselves a story of what we will become when we “grow up”.
We choose then to become doctors, lawyers, accountants, and whatever else.
Or maybe it’s the story of becoming an actor, musician, or writer.
The first group often spends up till their late 20s or early 30s to feel like they have ‘arrived’. But just as many feel trapped. Realizing that they should have looked further. Aimed differently. Told themselves a different story.
Or they try to bury it through workaholic tendencies. Or buying fancy toys to fill the void.
The second group often try to make their story work. And find that no one wants to listen to the story. The struggling artist trope comes to mind. So they wish to change the story of the world. Or erase their story and manipulate it into being someone they’re not.
Maybe there’s a third way. A place where we look at what’s in front of us. Where we ask ourselves a fresh question instead: What if I didn’t have to finish this story? What if I could start a new book instead?
We are the authors of our lives. We can begin a new story any day.
That’s the story I want to tell my daughter.
What stories do you tell yourselves? Do they help or hinder you?
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