Tell a Powerful Story! Your life deserves it!

My first “real” job was being an inside sales rep for an importer and distributor of specialty foods. I loved it because I got to know every fabulous restaurant and chef in Georgia. I loved the products, I loved the people, and I loved my customers, but there was one big challenge: my boss. He once told me that his goal every day was to make me cry to “toughen me up”. Eventually, I reached my breaking point because work was no longer fun. I think I spent more time complaining to the person sitting beside me than I did enjoying all the things I used to love about the job. 

One day, my coworker shared a tale that would change my life: Two construction workers sit down for their lunch break and open their lunchboxes. One looks at the other and grumbles, “Ugh, peanut butter and jelly.” The next day, they sat down again for lunch and his reaction was even bigger, “I can’t believe it! Peanut butter and jelly again?!” The other guy was starting to get a little concerned… he was really worked up over this peanut butter and jelly. By the third day, when he stood up to scream, “I can’t stand peanut butter and jelly!!” his friend finally said, “Man, you really gotta tell your better half not to make you peanut butter and jelly anymore.” His friend looked at him in confusion and replied, “What are you talking about? I make my own sandwiches.”  

I left that day with my head in a swirl. All of my reasons to stay were lies I was trapping myself in, like ‘you need this job’, ‘they’re helping you pay for your school’, ‘you can’t do it without them’, etc. I wasn’t a great cook, but I sure could make a good peanut butter and jelly. The next day, I marched up to my boss and turned in my resignation, and then I called up one of my clients and got a waitress job at a great restaurant so I could learn how to run one. Not long after, my future husband and I opened our own restaurant in Atlanta (peanut butter and jelly was not on the menu!). 

I tell you this because the ability to change the way you think about a challenge, shifting the story you’re telling, is the ability to open a new door to endless possibilities and close the door on anything in your way. When I find myself telling stories of things I can’t do or change, I shift them to stories of choice and possibility. This has become a foundational belief for all the individual, team, and organizational coaching work that we do here at Catalyst of Awesomeness. There is power in our stories: they can create opportunities or keep us stuck moping over our pb&j. When you realize your own ability to change the story, you’ll begin to see challenges as exciting opportunities to innovate rather than insurmountable roadblocks. Learn more about 4 Steps to Taking Ownership of Your Story. 

Catalyst of Awesomeness partners with individuals, teams, and groups to create custom training programs designed to accelerate performance. We will enable you to advance your career, bring higher value to your work, and create the life you want to live. The time to invest in yourself and your future is now. Contact us for individual, team, or group coaching here.

At Catalyst of Awesomeness, we believe that organizations gain a competitive edge when their people are at their best in both their personal and professional lives. Our programs serve leaders at every level. We coach individuals to get clear about what they want, identify the value of their unique talents, and use those gifts to advance their careers. We guide leaders and their teams to find synergy with each other and build trust in a way that elevates their performance to a higher level. We support organizations through times of change and restructuring in a manner that empowers their personnel and adds value for their customers.