Stories & Consciousness

(c) 2010 Joan M. Newcomb

Have you ever noticed the story you're telling yourself about the reality around you?  Every day, at any moment, you are either narrating a story of what is going on around you, or fantasizing a story in your head about a different reality you'd prefer to be in.

Our inner story teller has a powerful influence on us.  And we can completely transform our life and our personal history by changing the story.  Or at least stopping re-telling an old story over and over again.

For instance, you may have a story about your childhood which is very painful.  After acknowledging the event you lived through, and recognizing how it effects your life today and making steps to live differently, why keep re-telling it?  There's a point where you're retraumatizing yourself, or keeping yourself at an early stage of recovery, by going over and over it in your mind.

Or you may have a version of your history that was given to you, told to you by adults or older siblings, that when looked at through your own eyes in present time, is completely different.

On one level, life seems to be all about the story.  Even if you recognize yourself as an Expanded Being, here in physical form for the fun of it, you can get lost in the story of your life.  As an Infinite Being, we *love* physical reality and enjoy the drama of it, just as we love our favorite TV shows.  And when we remember we're Infinite, we realize our life theatre is as made up as a soap opera or TV series.

The challenge and the joy is to operate from Consciousness.  You are not your story, you are more than your story.  You begin by seeing clearly, and seeing beyond the story.  You  no longer have to react to immediate circumstances because they can (and will) change.  You no longer have to react to personalities in your storyline, because they're just actors who may or may not be here next season.  You can appreciate how creative You are to create such a reality.  You can enjoy the scenery and set design.  You can be amused at the cast and crew.

Stories change without our wanting them to.  What happens when the story breaks down, what then?
It can be very disorienting, because we lose an aspect of our identity. It's an opportunity for us to grow and realize we're greater than our story.

Great progress can be made by being willing to give up your story.  True expansion happens when you choose to live without the labels given by stories.

This week, if you want to, notice how much story telling goes on between your ears.  Take charge by interrupting the narrative.  Redirect your focus by reminding yourself that You are Consciousness.  Do that whenever you notice it for a week, and see what happens!