Stories
Yesterday I was writing about past, present and future and I have a cosmic nudge to continue that theme today – proceeding from a different angle.
There is no question that our past colors our future. We have so much conditioning, programming and personal history that contributes to who we deem ourselves to be. As mentioned yesterday, some people dig their heels in and justify this “I” as an inflexible, unchangeable inhabitant of the universe. If you read me long enough or hang around with me, you will often hear me repeat what The Grasshopper told me years ago:
“Who you are is someone that you made up and got comfortable with.”
You didn’t entirely do it on your own. You had help – people molders of all sorts – parents, peers, teachers, clergy, culture, etc. So, you have arrived at a destination that may not be to your liking. How do you build a bridge from where you are to where you want to be? Allow me to answer in the negative. You’ll never get there by telling your story.
Your story locks you in place revivifying all the patterning of the past which acts as glue to keep you stuck. Yesterday I had lunch with a young man I have been mentoring for years. He was telling me about a guy he works with who is a fun guy to hang with, for the most part, but continually complains about his situation and tells all the supporting stories to justify his stuckness. My friend said he noticed that this guy’s attitude was affecting him to act in the same manner. He went on to tell me that he got the gift of awareness one day that hanging out with this person was counterproductive and he stopped doing so. He recognized an immediate shift in his attitude from victimhood to veracity.
The truth is that stories keep you stuck. I’ll admit that it’s a temporary high to go off on a rant and recount your tales of woe to a dear friend but it will never get you unstuck. It delays the process. There are people to tell your story to – once. These would be the people helpers of the world – counselors, clergy, physicians, etal.
Sidebar: If your people helper allows you to continually tell your story; they haven’t a clue how to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. With this type of counseling you will have session after session and productive results will not be measurable.
Your story locks you in the prison known as the past. If you continue to tell it, justify it, demand that people listen to it, your future is guaranteed to resemble your past. The only thing left from the past is a misty thought form that you convince yourself is real. It would be like saying the streak in the sky that an airplane left behind is the airplane. The past and all the stories about it do not exist. They are memories – period!
We attempt to keep the past alive by telling our story. The illusion we live under is that if we tell it enough, things will change. Look at the evidence to the contrary in your own life.
The path to a different future begins with letting go of the story. This method works and it’s not easy due to all our conditioning to the contrary. So, begin slowly. Find one of your minor stories that you have been telling to anyone willing to listen and retire it – permanently! Then you can move up to the next story in line and leave it where it belongs – in the past. At first, you may feel naked at a formal event but that feeling will pass once you quit dressing up your past and putting it on display.
The key is to be present when your story begins to occupy your thoughts or conversation. Notice that you are telling your story. The present moment noticing will have the story come around less and less frequently until it stays where it belongs – in your scrapbook.
The pathway to the future is always from the present – never from the past.
All the best,
John
P.S. Please visit my websites and explore what I have to offer that may prove helpful to you.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnmorgan
http://www.cafepress.com/grasshoppernote/3580301
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