January 15, 2008

As a part of my life coach training, I participated in a series of classes that helped me to get in touch with my personal foundation. You see, in order to build the kind of solid and stable life that I wanted, it was important for me to develop a strong foundation. Accordingly, I spent time and energy understanding where my baselines were strong and where they needed attention. Throughout my personal foundation work, I came to realize that I had a story with which I identified. It is more or less an accumulation of thoughts, ideas and beliefs that I hold about myself and about my potential to attract the kind of life that I want. We all have a story and we all frequently cast ourselves in a specific role.

As I work with people, I listen for their story and the role in which they cast themselves. Whether that role is the underdog, the hero, the addict, or the victim, (and there are many more...) their telling and retelling of their story reveals the belief system that is keeping them stuck where they are. The more a person identifies with their story, the more difficult it becomes for them to move beyond it and develop a new reality. Our story line tends to perpetuate itself because the laws of creation and attraction more or less give us what we believe we deserve. In other words, we attract people and experiences into our lives that reinforce who we are... that reinforce our role... that reinforce our story. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to matter how painful or negative the story is, we tend to hang onto it and define ourselves by it.

Just for today, listen to the people around you and try and determine what their story is. If you listen to any one person for any length of time, you will be able to see the role in which they have cast themselves. Then, if you have not already done so, listen to yourself to see if there are patterns that surface when you speak. Are you unknowingly playing a role that is keeping you from creating your perfect life? In spite of what you might learn, remember that the past does not equal the future and you are free to rewrite your story at any point in time. Change your story and change your life. Remember that you are worthy of the best that this world has to give. And so it is.