How to tell a story about myself?

But first, I have to discover it.

My problem with giving a short introduction is that it's never short, and it never seems to describe the same person.

Recently, I found myself telling my barber a story about an accomplished IT manager who left the corporate world to become an artist. I emphasised the heroic journey of breaking free from the manipulative hustle culture through torturous self-learning, eventually becoming a recognised professional creative in the entertainment industry.

And I felt like it. Confident. respected. I had inflated this ego balloon so much that it easily burst when I got home, meeting the story of a freelancer who spends 12 hours a day in front of a computer, barely interacting with her neighbours. She suffers from frequent panic attacks and rarely gets to make creative decisions because it's up for her clients. And I felt like it. Unfulfilled, in need of therapy.

These two narratives, running through my mind within a few hours, showed me the power of the stories I tell myself.

My story defines my choices, my mood, my energy levels. Oh, wait - does that mean I can influence my biochemistry with the image of myself I’ve crafted through a particular story? Absolutely, I say!

My story can lead me toward the next thing I desire or throw me into the limbo of depression. Stories can make you a winner or a dinner (sorry, inside joke).

This concept of working with personal stories (or internal narratives) for healing is as old as Greek philosophy. It’s as hyped today as manifestation gurus make it sound. Respected psychologists like Carl Jung and Eric Berne back it up, too.

They all say the same thing - look, you get to choose your story. And you can change it anytime.

But first, I had to discover it. For the most part, I remained oblivious to my character profile: the motives and triggers behind my choices. I had been following a script written by unaware parents, by dumb TV ads I absorbed when I was four, and by traumas I collected along the way.

It takes deep work to bring your story to light, accept it, and begin the transformation.

"There is fear that we will remain who we always thought we were."

From Alexandra McKey, "Cloudgazing"

There’s a refreshing way to bring our underlying stories to light. It seems easy, but it will be painful if you're truly committed (= brave enough to be honest) to changing your inner narratives.

Just open your favourite social network. You’ll see examples of adventures and positive change or tragedies and injustices. This is how your current story sounds - your feed will show it to you.

You can call it a blessing or a curse, but algorithms are great at mirroring us. They amplify who we are and give us more of it. They clearly show what kinds of stories we love to consume.

We focus more on what confirms our values. And we stay blind to anything that might shatter our vision of the world, even if that vision doesn't really works for us. It's a natural protective mechanism, no shame in that.

I’m not saying one story is better than another. I believe we need different stories for different goals. What I’m saying is that we get to create new ones to support us with each new endeavour.

I’ve found that I want to tell different stories. I'm still experimenting. And this Substack blog is my playground.

MTHYNC stands for thinking and syncing to new ideas and stories. Not dramatic stories, but hopeful and joyful ones.