I know my story. I grew up in it. I lived it…am living it. From my side it all seems pretty ordinary. But occasionally, with a willing audience I will start to tell some of my stories. Admittedly, the process is facilitated by a few cocktails or a liberal amount of wine.
And I have to laugh. OMG – some of this stuff sounds like what I affectionately call ‘White Trash Theater.” Others, I swear, would be too far out for even the Lifetime Movie Channel.
How is this possible? Wasn’t I raised in an average American household? Didn’t I grow up as a normally screwed up kid and teenager? Haven’t I lead a fairly routine adult life? Aren’t I becoming a typical senior citizen?
Nope! Not even close!
I don’t feel like my life has been any more challenging, interesting, peculiar, adventurous, off-kilter, or weird than anyone else’s. That’s because in general we humans think what we are accustomed to is what other humans are accustomed to as well.
There’s something about telling these stories to someone else that reveals to me how far from ordinary so much of my life has been. Or maybe it’s the reactions I get from the listeners. And that fascinates me.
Writing the stories doesn’t have quite the impact. Maybe that’s because in the writing I have the opportunity to analyze, sanitize, and normalize things. When just recalling and telling, without preparation or rehearsal, everything comes out raw and real.
I’m willing to bet that a lot of this applies to you, your life, and your stories as well although you may not be aware of it. I’ve found working with my clients that many of them don’t recognize how amazing they are, what incredible things they’ve accomplished. It all just seems like regular life. If they can do it, everyone can. The stories get lost or buried. Locked in those stories are treasures. I am always delighted when, during the course of our work together, the women I work with rediscover a lost passion or embark on a long delayed adventure. And so start creating new stories.
So if you want to hear some of my stories we’re going to have to get spend some time together with a bottle of wine or a couple of Manhattan’s (get my favorite recipe here) so you can get me talking.
If you want help unlocking some of your stories then Life 3.0: 6 Secrets Really Rocking the Rest of Your Life could be just the program you’re looking for. Click the link to see when the next program starts.
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