50: The Story You Tell Yourself 21r5i

This past weekend at Omega Institute, I had the privilege to listen to the words and sing with some of the happiest people I have ever met in my life.And I learned something that I’d like to share with you to start this episode. It’s simple and it’s only one question.When you strip away everything — all the fat — all the things that don’t matter — what is the narrative that you’re telling yourself? What is the story you’re telling yourself?I found myself at breakfast and ed in on a ionate conversation about writing and life. When it came to my turn and someone asked me “What do you do, Mark?” I hesitated like always because I hate getting asked that question. Which I’m not quite sure really why.I said what I always do: “I write and I teach writing.” If they ask for more, I tell them that I run an online platform called Your Life on Purpose.But here’s where I learned something interesting about myself.I asked Susan, the woman to my left, how we can find the narrative that we’re secretly telling ourselves. For instance, one woman had explained how she realized that she was telling herself that she’s worthy of abuse (which is why she was still in an abusive relationship); another woman said that she told herself that she’s not worthy of greatness.Interesting, right?So, of course, I wanted to know what narrative I’m telling myself. Because I didn’t really know.And then I learned that I was telling myself…I’m not a real writer.When the people at breakfast started asking me about what I write about, I started by saying that “I’ve written a few e-books, but haven’t been traditionally published yet.”I also said “I write for The Huffington Post, Elephant Journal, and other large media sites, but I don’t get paid to do it.”Susan helped me see that I’m talking myself out of being a writer. She said, I am a writer. I just need to tell myself that.Interesting, right?Throughout my life I’ve learned that I will always feel like I need another degree, another certification, or to make money from something to feel as if I am good enough to be a master. This is toxic thinking.Because I’ve learned that a master is not a teacher. A master is a student. And to master something means to constantly learn and work at becoming better at something.I mean….I’ve been teaching writing and communications for over ten years, am being asked to do writing workshops throughout the world, and have other writers ask me for tips to gain access to and write for large media sites.Over 10,000 people read my last piece.But I still found myself not calling myself a real writer when I introduced myself. That was the story I was telling myself.What’s the story that you are telling yourself? Strip away all the fat and dig deep and try to find it. Pay attention to how you introduce yourself and what you say about yourself when meeting others. k2858