The Power of Stories

2. WORKING THOUGHTS: Powerful Stories
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"That’s the story of my life."
"What’s your story?"
"I want to hear the whole story."
"The rest of the story."
"That’s his story."
"A likely story."

These phrases attest to the power of story. Stories shape our experience; they explain or justify our decisions, focus our hopes and flesh out our dreams.

I used to tell a poverty story as a matter of course. "I can’t afford it," I would say reflexively. "I can’t ever get ahead. Every time I save some money something breaks and I need to spend it." I had dozens of similar chapters, all contributing to the same story line: "I’m poor; poor me."

One day, standing at my front door with a solicitor (I no longer recall on whose behalf he was soliciting), I heard myself run this story for the umpteenth time. This time, I heard a voice in my mind say, "That's not true! That hasn’t been true for years. I have about as much money as I choose to have and, if I wanted to, I could contribute to this cause."

What a shift! Once I stopped telling my poverty story I stepped into a story of the possibility of plenty. I had the identical amount of money in both stories, but in one I was powerful and accountable, in the other I was limited and victimized. From that moment until this I have paid attention to what story I am telling when I talk about money. I know that my financial success and stability are directly tied to the money stories I tell.

Are you telling yourself a story that keeps you small? How would it be to let go of your old, sad stories and to accept responsibility for the great, good story of your life? Are you willing to practice now, this week?