Interrupting Our Narrative

We all have a story to tell. The stories that created the character we present to the world and the one we share only with a select few. Sometimes these stories are wonderfully designed to justify why we are the way we are.

These narratives are repeated throughout the years and at times go unexamined or unchallenged; we remain the same and nothing seems to change.

The ebb and flow of life can trap us in a lullaby and we are caught in our narrative and if it's a tragic story, we can see no way of escape.

The tension of repeating the same shit builds until we can no longer take it - we explode. We self-harm, use drugs, drink to oblivion or abuse the ones we love. And after the storm has quieted within, we attempt a return to normalcy by apologizing and promise to be better and do better.

But the truth is, we cannot fight the fight when we remain stuck in the narrative we repeat to ourselves and others. After all, it is a familiar tale of how the wrongs committed against us created a cold-heart. How those who abandoned us instilled fear and this is why we isolate. How the abuse created depression and anxiety; we can barely function.

Let me clarify. I am not minimizing the experiences that shape our beliefs and behaviors. We adopted actions and inactions to cope with the peculiarity that life has thrown our way. These experiences are the fabric of our existence and have indeed shaped our character.

But the tragedy of staying within our narrative without qualification happens when we get stuck on repeat. We do the same shit, experience the same shit, and never reach a moment of peace. The haunting tale of what happened to us controls our behavior whether we are conscious or not; we repeat the same old shit.

There is no right or wrong in this predicament we find ourselves. It's not a game of who is at fault. Quite honestly, our stories are to be told and shared with others to inspire hope, connect, and release the emotional baggage we can experience within our narrative.

However, if you find that you're repeating the same old, same old on a new day and a new year . . . maybe this is a chance to flip the script. Maybe there is something new to consider within your narrative you've yet to discover and maybe, this is where change lies.