Welcome to Beyond Your Inner Story.
So,
Take a moment to find your comfy space,
Warm and cozy.
Let your shoulders soften.
Your jaw release and your hands are resting back.
Slowly close your eyes and take a lovely easy breath in.
As you breathe out.
Allow yourself to arise.
Right here.
Right there.
We're going to explore something rather beautifully.
And that's the possibility that there is so much more to you than you have yet discovered.
There is more courage,
More creativity,
More wisdom,
More possibility.
There are so many more ways of being than the ones that you've grown accustomed to.
Because each of us carries stories about who we are.
Some of those stories really help to encourage us.
I'm someone who keeps going.
I care deeply.
Are curious.
I'm stronger than I sometimes realize.
Then there are other stories that may have become a little too small.
For the person you're becoming.
Maybe you've heard yourself say I'm not that confident.
Or I've never been good at that.
I'm not really that sort of person.
And his thoughts can become so familiar that eventually we stop wondering whether they're still true.
So here we are going to wonder.
We're going to create a little space around some of those old assumptions and discover something new.
Take another gentle breath in.
And breathe out.
Letting go.
And just consider this.
What if there are wonderful parts of you that your old stories simply haven't made room for yet?
The human mind it really loves patterns.
Patterns help us make sense of our experiences and how to navigate the world.
And once we've formed an idea about ourselves.
The mind becomes very good at noticing experiences that fit that idea.
Psychology calls this tendency confirmation bias.
So for example.
Just imagine that you've always thought of yourself as someone who isn't particularly confident.
You might easily remember the moments when you felt uncertain.
But what about all those quieter moments of courage?
The time you walked into somewhere unfamiliar.
The conversation you are nervous about having.
But had anyway.
And those decisions that you made for yourself.
That day that you began again.
The moment you tried something new.
So,
Confidence was there all along,
It was just wearing a different outfit.
And sometimes courage can look remarkably ordinary.
Sometimes the qualities we believe we lack.
Have been quietly appearing throughout our lives in ways that we haven't recognized.
And this is why awareness can be so free.
Because we begin to see a wider picture.
And when the picture becomes wider,
So do your possibilities.
So,
Just bring to mind one familiar belief that you have about yourself.
Just keep this light.
It could be I'm not adventurous.
I'm shy.
I'm not creative.
I'm someone who likes everything to stay the same.
Or maybe your own words have already appeared.
Instead of trying to change them,
Simply become curious.
So just imagine placing this belief gently in the palm of your hand.
Just look at it as though you've never seen it before.
Maybe even smile at it.
Ah,
There you are.
Just see that smile on your face as we begin to explore through three simple questions.
I like to think of these as three doors.
And each one will open your story a little wider.
So you see the first door before you.
And written upon it are the words.
Is this a fact or is this one interpretation?
Take your time.
There is some truth within your story but maybe it isn't the whole truth.
Maybe you've simply been looking at yourself from one particular angle.
So take a gentle breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Open the second door.
And this one asks.
What else have I noticed about myself?
Let your mind wander through all your experiences,
Those unexpected moments,
Times when you've surprised yourself.
Those times when you adapted,
Times that you have learned.
Those times that you've shown kindness.
Times when you've spoken up and those times when you've begun again.
Maybe these are qualities within you that deserve a little more recognition.
And now.
Breathe in.
And as you breathe out,
You arrive at your third door.
It's a favorite and the question is,
What else could also be true?
So just allow yourself to play with this question.
Maybe it's I enjoy familiarity.
And incapable of exploring something new.
I sometimes feel uncertain.
But I can trust myself to find the way.
I'm naturally quiet,
But my voice still matters.
I'm still learning.
And look how much I've learned already!
I'm comfortable with who I am.
And I'm still growing.
And just notice how spacious these statements feel.
We're not replacing one story with another.
We're allowing ourselves to become bigger than the story.
So take a slow breath in.
And an easy breath out.
Releasing any stress or tension.
Just see yourself entering a beautiful,
Peaceful room.
Warm sunlight falls through tall windows.
The air here feels soft and welcoming.
And around the room are pages,
Beautiful pages.
Some are new,
Others have softened with age,
But each one holds a little piece of your story.
Those moments that you've experienced.
Things that you've learned,
Places you've traveled to.
The people that you have loved.
The challenges that you've moved through.
Those things that you have discovered about yourself along your path,
Your way.
So you walk slowly through this room.
There is no hurry.
You notice a page that captures your attention.
You move closer.
And written there is the belief you were exploring earlier.
So you take a moment now to look at it.
Maybe those words have accompanied you for many years.
You gently touch the page and say This has been part of my story.
And then you add,
There is so much more to me.
Notice how that feels.
Place the page gently back where you found it.
It belongs here.
It's part of your journey.
And now something else catches your eye.
Across the room is an open doorway.
Beyond it,
There is sunlight.
You walk towards it and step through.
The space beyond is so wide and beautiful.
A meadow with a hilltop.
Above you is an enormous open sky and stretching before you a wide horizon.
You feel the breeze against your skin,
The openness around you.
There is so much space here,
Energy.
There is space for curiosity,
Space for growth,
Space for surprise.
And now,
Beside you,
There is a beautiful blank page.
And you pick it up.
There is no rush to write anything.
But for now simply enjoy the possibility it represents.
And now you just allow these words to echo through your being.
I am still discovering who I am.
I welcome the parts of myself that are ready to grow.
I can surprise myself.
I can begin something new and wonderful.
There are possibilities within me I haven't explored yet.
Take a beautiful full breath.
And now,
Perhaps with a brilliant smile,
As you breathe out,
Ask yourself,
What else could also be true about me?
Just let that question float into that wide open sky.
You don't need an answer right now.
Maybe the answer will find you tomorrow.
In some unexpected moment when you suddenly do something you never imagined yourself doing.
But for now simply enjoy the spaciousness of that possibility.
Take a slow breath in.
And as you breathe out.
Just reflect on how much you are discovering.
About yourself.
And maybe the next time you hear yourself say,
I'm just the sort of person who.
.
.
Just pause for a moment,
Smile and remember those three doors.
Is this a fact or one interpretation?
What else have I noticed about myself?
And then you open that wonderful third door.
What else could also be true?
And just give yourself permission to be surprised by the answer.
Because remember that you are still learning,
You're still growing.
Still experiencing,
Still becoming.
And your story,
It contains everything that you have already lived.
But it also contains wonderful new possibilities.
Those new experiences,
Those new discoveries and new ways of seeing yourself.
And there are pages of your beautiful life that haven't been written yet.
And there has always been so many beautiful parts of you that you haven't even met.
So just take a moment to reflect on your own inner stories,
Your own inner strengths,
Your own courage.
Your own ability to write new stories just for you.
Take a breath in.
And a slow gentle breath out.
Roll your shoulders if that feels good and give yourself a gentle stretch.
Open your eyes when you're ready.
Thank you so much for spending this time with me.
Until we meet again,
Stay curious,
Stay open and take gentle care of yourself.
Namaste,
My friend.
