Stories are silly, right? Mostly for kids. As adults haven’t we moved past stories to deal mainly with facts?
No. Stories are how the brain makes sense of the world, at all ages.
It’s how we translate events into meaning.
The world is complex. All day long we encounter people, behavior and outcomes, and we’re trying to answer the question: this thing that just happened…what does it mean?
- My boss just told me I wasn’t selected to lead the new initiative. What does this mean for my career at the company?
- Amy said yes to a second date. Is she just being nice? or is she interested in me?
- My doctor told me my cholesterol is high. What does this mean for my long-term health?
We may have some clues, but we don’t know the full picture. We can’t, it’s too complex.
And our brains can’t stand not knowing. Our brains want to make sense of everything.
So we make up a story about how it all fits together.
And the stories we tell about what will happen next are deeply informed by the stories we already believe:
- about who we are
- about what we should or shouldn’t be doing
- about how the world works
Tomorrow at 3pm ET I’m hosting a workshop called New Story, New You. In 60 minutes you’ll discover a methodology for how to spot the stories that get in your way, re-write them, and reinforce them so they become part of your new thinking patterns.
Go here to sign up. A recording is included if you register before start time.
What’s the #1 thing you wish you could change in your life? I bet there’s a story to help you get there.
