“Our stories either empower us to be the best version of ourselves or overpower our ability to make a significant impact.” — James McPartland
Through daily dialogue with ourselves, we become master storytellers of how life is going and how people are. As we tell our stories to ourselves and to others, we reinforce or justify the choices we make and actions we take or don’t take in our lives.
We know what we know through the repetitive, often close-minded stories we tell ourselves. Yet it is an open mind that allows room for learning and growth, provided we live our lives in such a way that leaves space for new information to come in. Sometimes we need to take a good honest look at the beliefs we hold that are no longer serving us and be willing to unlearn a few things. In doing so, we make room for unprecedented levels of knowledge attained through new levels of experience.
You’ve heard it said awareness is the first step. Without awareness, we become trapped in our story and overpowered by our commitment to it. On the other hand, actively seeking an increase in self-awareness is one of the most empowering steps you can take in the journey of developing yourself.
So become aware. What stories are you telling yourself today? Do they empower you to be the best version of yourself? Or do they overpower your ability to make a significant impact? We all have blind spots. If we are humble enough to at least acknowledge this much, we may be able to prevent ourselves from being blindsided.
Awareness is curative, presence is power, and our willingness to say "I don't know" provides us with access to authenticity, possibility, mastery, and purpose.
