This word contours up many images…most are likely positive ones. Perhaps a family story that you hear every Thanksgiving or perhaps one with a memorable character from a childhood favorite book…
These are all great images but there is an insidious type of story that can bring us to our knees. It is a story that we as a child, adopted to help us cope with some sort of stress we were experiencing. It could have been parents arguing, your brother always slamming a door or a dog that ran towards you in the dark. It could also be from an adult asking you to stop talking for a moment, parents conversation with you about divorce or lack there-of or the family’s coping mechanism-overeating, smoking or substance use.
I consider these to be “interesting” experiences or stories….but nothing more than that. Whatever happened, it is in the past. It is not in your present. It is not happening to you over and over again. As children we learn to cope in childish ways. Unfortunately, the way we choose to cope then becomes a way of life as an adult.
We may wonder why we are worried about someone liking us, extra nervous about job interviews, over-eating or a desire to just want to “zone out” when stressed. These are often the way the child had elected to cope with stress that has spilled over into your adult life.
What if you could just create a new set of coping skills that allowed you to have healthy balance in your life? We all have challenges (what people call problems). Let’s choose how you wish to react instead of using your 5 year olds mechanism for coping.
Could that change your life?
What “story” have you told yourself over and over throughout your life?
Is this the truth?
What new adult story could you create that would propel you in life?