Tell me a story

We all love stories, as told in movies or novels, in short stories or tall tales. I like to write stories about events in my past and I may get that from my father who loved to tell stories from his childhood. In many ways telling our own stories helps us appreciate the life that we have been given, the journey that has been ours alone.

There is a branch of psychology called narrative psychology which has explored the effects of telling our stories in the third person. This is done either as the story told back to you from the therapist's illuminated perspective or as told by yourself as if you were describing the events as seen on a movie screen. The effect is in the removal of ourselves from the emotion of traumatic events. From this vantage point we may be able to make sense of what happened and find the meaning as it fits into the flow of our lives. This is a powerful process that serves to integrate events and shift who we see ourselves as today. We become empowered and more confident.

We do love to tell our stories! And tell them and retell them. If you are sick of yours this could be the catalyst for change you have been waiting for. If you feel stuck in your life this could be a great tool for removing blocks. Its worth a try and could be fun. Sharing our new third person stories with friends who support us helps authenticate our revised interpretations and creates an opportunity to connect which always increases our life satisfaction. So tell me a story and not the one about Johnny McGorey!!
Shall I begin it? That's all is in it!