Let go of stories that no longer serve you.
The other day, I went for a run with two of my friends.
As we completed one of many laps around the soccer field, I heard one of them say, “I’d be able to run with you all if I had better shoes … if the weather wasn’t so hot.”
Although, there might have been truth in both of his statements, I chose to explore it further.
I wanted to see if he was in a similar place I used to be.
I used to create stories when the going got tough.
Stories about obstacles that weren’t truly obstacles.
Stories that didn’t serve me.
The weather.
The shoes.
The unevenly cut grass.
The ducks crossing the road.
I’d find things, create a story about them, then use those stories as a way to justify my performance or give myself reasons to stop early.
I asked my friend, “Is it really the shoes or the weather that’s preventing you from going faster?”
Nothing but silence that followed.
I sensed I might have hit the nail on the head.
Then, I shared my experience, how I’ve been able to let go of similar stories that didn’t serve me.
1. Be honest. Don’t mask the truth. Don’t create obstacles that aren’t truly obstacles. If you feel tired, then you feel tired. Acknowledge the truth.
2. Identify your competition. For me, the only competition was the one I saw in the mirror. It’s “Me vs Me”. It made no difference to me how fast or slow the person next to me was going. I, and only I, know when I’m giving it my all and when I have more left in the tank.
Are the stories you tell yourself holding you back?
Reach out!
Let’s create a new narrative by transforming the old, one story at a time.
