Who writes your narrative?

We live in turbulent times. The disease has been in the headlines for months on a global scale. We are bombarded with numbers, daily, of the number of infected and the number of dead. The mass media spread the mass graves that are being dug in South America. We also see four thousand five hundred trumpeters who at the same time (in their own time zone) play taps in honor of all those who have died during these difficult experiences.

How do you develop your story? What influences you when it comes to stories that you share, retell, or embellish? How are you doing with the massive influx of news, each outlet vying for your attention and support? If you follow television, journalists, and social media, you cannot avoid overstimulation. We are attacked like children in a classroom, all raising their hands yelling “Choose me, choose me”.

Humans are sponges. From the moment of our birth, we absorb information in our environment. We learn from experience. We observe how others respond to the situation and use that information to form our opinions and strategies for success.

The question we must ask ourselves is: “Who is writing your narrative?” An actor is given a script to follow. They say the lines they were given. No matter what your opinion in the real world, actors say what they are told to say. The narrative on the screen is different than the narrative of one walking the streets.

Twelve-step programs have an important saying: “Take what you need and leave the rest.” There is a belief that quantity over quality is emphasized. The more information one has, the better the decision or action will be; not always true. If we are not selective in forming our own narratives, we deal with cognitive dissonance. Did you ever play tug of war as a kid? Imagine that tension and strain in your mind.

Critical thinking is a skill set that slips through our fingers. We teach children to pass an exam. We have become a society where flute players lead groups. Unfortunately, if you know anything about the Pied Piper, he pulled the rats off a dock to drown. Now is the time for individuation. We did it physically and developmentally when we were teenagers. We learned to go out into the world and survive.

We live in an age where adaptability is more important than strength. We are forced to examine smoke screens and find clarity. Culturally, we are working to develop new strategies for peaceful conflict resolution.

What does your narrative say about you? How are you building the story you want to tell and want to live? What impact does your narrative have on the world?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top