What Stories Are You Telling Yourself?
I ran across this amazing photo on Facebook. Taken in 1948 by noted photographer Leonard McCombe, it depicts a 91-year-old Navajo story-teller, thrilling his young audience with tales of heroes and monsters. Folk stories that had probably been handed down for generations, which might pass to future offspring of these children.
Much like folk tales, our memoirs paint stories, too. They, too, feature heroes and villains, tales of monsters and stories of redemption.
But what are the stories we tell ourselves while we write – or try to write? Is it a tale of excuses and failure, or a story of heroism and adventure?
* Are you constantly telling yourself you’re “no good” at writing? Or are you recognizing yourself as a hero for getting words down on paper despite little formal training?
* Are you repeatingly telling yourself that you “don’t have time,” maybe promising to “get back to writing someday”? Or are you painting yourself as a Ninja in the time management battle, slaying the procrastination dragon fifteen minutes at a time?
* Are you lecturing yourself about all the things you don’t yet know about publishing? Or happily repeating the victory saga of what you have learned, and reminding yourself that the elusive prize will eventually be yours?
“It’s up to you, the future storytellers, to decide what patterns to create,” the wise Navajo elder admonished his young listeners.
It’s up to you, too, what story you decide to tell yourself about your memoir writing process. Choose a great inner narrative — one that uplifts, that inspires you, and celebrates the heroic progress you have made.
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