Control the Narrative (Now's the Time)

Whether you realize it or not, you're a phenomenal storyteller.

Know how I know?

Because you're human.

We're ALL highly skilled at creating (or adopting) stories to explain everything that happens to us and around us. We don't even have to think about it much of the time. It happens automatically.

Sometimes we tell ourselves stories that are dangerously divorced from reality.

But if we commit to paying attention and being honest, we can better understand what's really going on -- and gain a lot more control over the stories as they play out.

Don't Ignore the Signs

I laughed out loud when I saw the miniature stick figure guy yanking back the gas gauge needle, like the photo at the top of this article.

Whoever came up with that is clever!

But I started feeling different within seconds, even though I know it's just a joke.

It's a little sad to think about drivers fighting to keep their gas tanks (literal or metaphorical) from running dry. Especially if their "solution" is to fiddle with the device relaying reality to them.

Because we're all susceptible to this temptation to delusion.

If we get poor engagement on our content, we tell ourselves a story. The algorithm stinks!

If no one opens our emails, we tell ourselves a story. No one reads email anymore.

If people don't take the next step to work with us, we tell ourselves a story. Maybe they're cheap to too short-sighted to recognize real value when they see it.

Are those stories true? Maybe.

But you can't just assume the story that took shape in your mind is 100% factual. You need to find out the truth. What's the gas gauge really telling you?

And don't forget...

Your dream prospects tell themselves stories, too.

They see themselves and their place in the universe in a specific way. Their dreams and desires determine, in large part, the stories they accept and reject. Their fears and frustrations become conflicts and antagonists in the narrative.

(Seems like there's a surplus of fear and frustration for many these days.)

You can influence the stories they tell themselves in an intentional way.

And the better you understand the scenes unfolding in their minds, the more influential you can be.

Dr. Joshua I Wilson and I discussed ways you can do this in my recent appearance on the Ethos Untamed podcast.

We focused mainly on email, but the insights apply far more broadly.

So here are the main takeaways:

1. We all tell ourselves stories every day. We often don't even consciously realize it (or think critically about the end produce those stories produce in our lives).
2. If we commit to paying attention, we gain more control over the stories that shape us.
3. We influence the stories other people tell themselves. We can and should try to be intentional about the influence we have.

What stories do you want to change? Give it some thought.

Have a productive weekend. And remember, sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest!

Donnie