We all have Stories! Life Stories!
We all have Stories! Life Stories!
by
L.T.Force, Ph.D.
Gerontologist
Yes, we all do have Stories….Life Stories!
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Definition: Stories
story
noun [ C ]
US /ˈstɔːr.i/ UK /ˈstɔː.ri/
story noun [C] (DESCRIPTION)
(Cambridge Dictionary)
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However, regarding the “Life Stories” - we tell others and tell ourselves - they are different versions of who we are. Yes, in both cases, some are real and some are imagined.
Think about it. Think about the stories we tell others about ourselves, i.e., the “description of our lives” that we present. For some, it is a “developmental- narrative”. A description of our lives across time. We weave together (depending upon our age) our childhood experiences, our adolescent events, our experiences of young adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. For some, our “descriptions of our lives” we share with others - center around significant events, i.,e. Birthdays, Graduations, Weddings, Career Choices, Divorces, experiences with Children and Grandchildren, Health Issues, Health Victories, and stories about our family system…etc. Most of the stories we share with others are grounded in reality. (Yes, there may be times an individual will embellish or omit an area of their life. However, for the most part the stories we share with others about ourselves are real). But then there are the stories we tell ourselves.
Those “personal-narrative stories” (the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves) are embedded and influenced by: “our own voice of self-criticism, regret, self-doubt and the second guessing of our own actions or inactions”. The stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, are not as clear and reality-based as the stories we share with others about our lives. We are truly our best “self-critic” and that voice influences the narrative of our own lives - that we replay in our own heads. The solution? Begin to celebrate the moments of successes across your own life. Take a moment and give yourself credit for your accomplishments. Change the “voice and narrative” of your own self-description to yourself. Be the “Storyteller“ and tell yourself what you tell others….this is a gift….a gift from you to you. And this new self-narrative will “light the way”…. just like the lanterns in the above image. Why? Because this is who you really are. And who is the audience for this presentation? You....You're the audience….
