Who Would You Be…

Monday, Oct 20

Without your story?  (By story, I mean the things you’ve always told yourself, ABOUT yourself.  For instance, “I’m fat”, “I’m smart”, “I’m this, that, or the other thing…”)

This is a question I’m asking myself today.  It was prompted partly by my journal, and partly by a random newsletter received by email.  (Divine intervention?) “Who Would You Be Without Your Story?” is, I believe, the title of a book by a very wise woman named Byron Katie.
We creative types are especially good at telling ourselves stories.  I’m a past-master at it, because I’ve been spinning yarns, on paper and in my head, since I was a very small child.  It’s a necessary part of my work, telling stories.  It’s what I do, and I love it.  The trouble is, I often forget to shut off the storymaking machine in my head when I leave the computer.
I tell myself a variety of things.  Many of them are good.  A lot of them, however, could use some improvement.  🙂  And it’s only logical to wonder how many of these tales are actually TRUE?
When I make a mistake, I tend to berate myself for it, because one of my many besetting sins is perfectionism.  I’ll bet a lot of you can identify.  If I’m not careful, I might tell myself something like, “You’re an idiot.”
Is that true?  (Depends on who you ask.  🙂  Just kidding.)  I’m gloriously imperfect, being a card-carrying human being, but I’m definitely NOT an idiot.  
Stories.  They become our operating system, like Vista in a PC, and guide our thoughts, attitudes and, inevitably, our actions.  I don’t know about you, but I’m going to take a much closer look at the things I’m telling myself.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.  
About Linda

The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.

Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.

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