What's Your Story?

By Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, Ph.D.

Stories you tell yourself influence what you think and do.

In fact, everything you think is a story you accept or create. Your narrative also reveals to others who you are and what they hear from your sweet lips determines how they react to you.

DO THIS: Take a deep breath and be silent as you listen to how you talk to yourself about any topic… let’s say your health, what you eat, about love, or money, or success, or fun… you pick the topic and be silent…REALLY LISTEN…

Was it nourishing and positive? The amazing thing about you is that every word you think or speak may be ignored by conscious awareness yet it is heard loud and clear by your own bio-electric mind/body.

In other words, your inner self listens well and instantly creates a blueprint for what happens next, mentally, physically and emotionally. Thoughts, words and the stories you tell are energy that result in bio-chemicals, action or reaction, habits, values, and your destiny.

If you think, “I’m shy” you’re correct. If you think, “I feel rotten” you do.

If you think ‘No body loves me, everybody hates me; guess I’ll eat some worms;” you might as well dig them up and chow down. Each tidbit is then carefully crafted into the stories you believe and live by.

Now, let’s talk about how that story effects others. Do you lovingly listen to their story? Do stories you tell them make a fabulous impression? Or, do they wear folks out? My dad said, “The definition of a bore is someone who talks about themselves when you’d rather talk about yourself.” Do you tell the same story ad nauseam? Does your inner dialogue blur out someone else’s words and notions. If you only talk it is like breathing out and never breathing in… it is exhausting.

Your past is as changeable as the future. “If you want positive change; change your story. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. Just tell the story about what you’ve learned. Find the good in your childhood, career and relationships and you’ll inspire yourself and others. Social psychologists call this “story editing” and a key to transformation.

THREE STEPS TO A MORE POSITIVE NARRATIVE

1. Tell who you want to be.

A tale of resilience and good outcomes is captivating.

2. Create a positive spin.

If you don’t like stories you’ve told; write a better one.

3. Revise and reboot!

You’re a growing maturing personality and you make up tour stories as you go along. So make your beautiful and celebrate that you are a kindly, delightful, one of a kind!

Local Personality, Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD is a hypnotherapist, mindfulness and NLP trainer, artist and the author of 25 books. She certifies practitioners through the International Hypnosis Federation. You can call her at 310 541-4844.

Dr. Shelley can be reached at shelleynicholas@cox.net or www.hypnosisfederation.com

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