I want to thank Buddhist teacher Cheri Huber for the inspiration for today’s post. She tweeted something like, “Just change your story.” My inner voice said that is an excellent topic for my blog.

What stories am I talking about? If you take the time to observe what goes on in your mind and do so over a period of time, you will notice some regular themes. Most of these themes are ones that direct the way you see the world. Let me give you some examples:

You can have a story about money being bad, and you never seem to have the money you want. If you have a story about money being bad and you want to be a good person, then your story of money will keep you from having it.

You can have a story about not being good enough. That story plays every time you go after something and don’t get it. Soon you expect to fail and you feel that you are not good enough to have what you want.

You can have a story about how amazing you are, and everything you do turns out great. Believing in yourself usually means you take risks, follow your heart, and do what it takes to succeed. This story is one that you don’t want to change. If anything you may want to play this story more often.

Why would you want to change your story? Stories that don’t work for you like: you not being good enough, not deserving, not okay as a person, money as bad or any other negative story limits greatly the possibilities of your life. So when you notice a limiting story you play about who you are in your own mind, you then have the choice to change that story. You most likely have some deeply grooved stories that hold you back from having the life you desire (this is true of all of us.)

Changing your story begins by listening to what stories you have playing and then questioning whether they are serving you well or not. Most of the stories in you mind are thoughts that have been replaying for many years. These stories can be replaced once you are aware of them but if you don’t take the time to become mindful of your thoughts, these stories will limit what you want to make happen.

Simply put, pay attention to how you talk to yourself, you inner dialogue, the stories of how you see the world. As you notice ideas, beliefs and stories that are limiting you, you then have awareness. With awareness, you acquire choice. With choice you can change old themes to new ones that move you in the right direction.

Imagine having thoughts, ideas and beliefs about you and your life that make your life the way you want it to be. If you commit to listening inward, asking yourself questions about what you are thinking, and becoming aware of thoughts you want to replace, then you take back control of the life you long to create.

Here are some ideas to help you be more aware, take the time to explore these practices compassionately:

Notice in the morning what your basic story is as your day begins. Notice what your story is about work or not working
Notice what your story is about yourself as you go through your day
Notice your story about your family
Notice your story about your body
Notice your story about your feelings
Notice your story about the people you spend time with
Notice the story about how you feel about your life’s direction
Notice the story about how you feel after work
Notice how you spend your free time and your story about that
Notice how much time you spend in distracting yourself and the story you may be trying to hide
Notice when and if your heart is open and the story about that
Notice if you ever slow down or take it easy and the story of why you do or don’t
Notice how you feel at the end of the day and the story of that day
Notice if you ever appreciate beauty and any story about that
Notice if you are ever grateful and any story about that
Notice if you feel your life has meaning or not and the story about that
Notice is you feel at peace and any story about that
Notice if you are happy and the story about that

Keep on noticing until you understand what stories take you higher in life and which ones cause you life to close down.

Be kind in all of this noticing. To judge yourself negatively for the stories you have would be to begin a new limiting story or add on to one you already have. The best frame of mind is to just impartially get to know what is going on inside and upgrade the stories that need to change and energize the positive ones that are already there.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: I am changing my story.

Last night I placed this message on my Facebook page and today I want to share it with everyone who stops by to read my blog. I so much appreciate you and you interest in expanding your mind and opening your heart.

I am taking a scary but exciting leap. I am going to need your support. I will now make my living with my blog, my coaching and my training and presentations. I affirm this with all of you as my cheer leading team. I am putting a plan together now, with a relaunch of my blog, a spelling out of my services and products and the building of a co-created movement called Better World Together. Stay tuned, have your thinking caps on, your hearts energized and people in mind I can be of service to. Love and peace to all of you.