Change Your Stories and Change your Life

Posted: Feb 7, 2021

Did you know that the average person has about 70,000 thoughts per day? And that, surprisingly, about 65,000 of those thoughts are the same as the ones they had yesterday.

But why are so many of them repeat thoughts? Well, it’s because the vast majority of those thoughts exist to reinforce the ‘stories’ they tell themselves and live their lives by.

Whilst many of the stories we tell ourselves help to make our lives a little easier, unfortunately many more of them negatively limit our confidence, our choices and our opportunities. So in order for us to get what we really want in life we need to change those negative stories we tell ourselves. And, while it may feel a little uncomfortable at first because it is a new and different way of talking to ourselves, the results can literally change our lives.

There are various different ways you can do this, including practising mindfulness and meditation but here are two simple ways to start changing those negative stories:

1. Stop complaining

Easily said, I know, but with a bit of practice it becomes easy to do as well. When you see something you disapprove of or something goes wrong and you feel yourself about to complain stop and take a mental step back. Is it really that important? Is it really the end of the world … or just inconvenient? Is it even really my problem? This will give you the mental space to start developing different stories and thinking positively.

2. Tell yourself some new stories

When you hear yourself repeating the same old stories about why you can’t do something or you can’t stand someone just stop! Those stories aren’t doing you, or anyone else, any good. Instead start looking at them from a different angle and think about possible solutions. There’s always something positive you can do – even if it’s to realise that, in the bigger scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter and your story becomes ‘I just walked away’!

So tomorrow, when you have another 70,000 thoughts, many in the form of stories, make sure you only listen to the ones that can change your life for the better.