Is how fairy tales start. Once upon a time signals to each of us that a story is about to be told. We know that after that start everything follows will be a story of some sort…might be a fable, or complete fiction or a learning parable but it will be a story. It is what we expect; it is what we know will happen.

My life is made up of stories. The stories I tell myself about my life. The stories I tell myself about what happened and who I am/was in that story. This is not a problem and seems to be part of the universal human condition. Man is a meaning making machine. We make meaning out of everything. My spouse left me…it means I wasn’t good enough. My spouse left me it means I was too good for them. My spouse left me it means no one will ever love me again. We make the things in our life mean things.

Try this on: Once upon a time my spouse left me. Everything that comes after that is a fairy tale. It might completely untrue. It might be partially true or it might be mostly true. But whatever I say after once upon a time is a story.

What if you changed the fairy tale? What if it went like this…Once upon a time my spouse left me and it was painful and it hurt but I learned how to be in a relationship and how not to be in a relationship and when I get into another relationship I will be more able to be who I want to be in relationship. Isn’t that a whole lot better than I got left, she done me wrong, I am unlovable and I won’t ever be in a relationship again?

This is true for all the stories you are telling yourself about your life. Whether it is career, relationship, money, parenting, or love; the stories you are telling yourself should empower you. Those stories should raise you up. Even when you were wrong about something…you can tell yourself how lucky you were to have learned that lesson.

You can’t change what happened. You can change the story you tell yourself about it. You can change the narration of your fairy tale to make you out to be the hero and not the villain. No one really likes the villain, not really.

Once upon a time…if you are going to tell yourself a story it may as well be one that has you looking good!

John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
Follow me on Facebook and Instagram