What’s a story and why does it matter?

A Story is Born

Human beings are incredible. We are born with the ability to take in and absorb information
from the world around us, like a sponge. Our brain helps us find our place in this world by
categorizing information and interactions into a framework of understanding. Its primary
objective is to keep us safe. Throughout our childhood, this framework develops as we
experience the world around us and receive feedback about our behaviors. We’re influenced by
the behaviors and beliefs of our parents and caretakers, our culture, and later the media, the
educational system, and our friends.

We develop beliefs about how the world works, and these beliefs form our identify—who we
think we are. Our experience of life is filtered through our individual perception of reality. It is
this filter through which we process the situations of life, rather than the actual situations
themselves, that determine the meaning we ascribe to them.

By early adulthood, we've developed a story—a narrative script we tell ourselves and others
about what happened in our past, how the world works, and who we are. Our brain uses this
story like a blueprint to make sense of the world—to predict, evaluate, react to, and control our
lives. We refer to the blueprint for guidance when we encounter challenges; to determine what it
means and how we should respond. Our stories determine whether we are resilient or rigid,
whether we thrive or fail.

Our brain is constantly trying to find a way to make what happens fit your blueprint. It has to
confirm that your view of reality is right—it has to keep you safe from uncertainty, from danger.
Our brains are wired to find, notice, and focus on what we already believe, and so we tend to find
ourselves in situations that confirm our biases. So, we expect life to be a certain way, the world
around us proves us right, our belief is reinforced, and so the story continues…

…until you intercept the story—and change your beliefs. You have to trick your brain into
following a new blueprint because when you do, you’ll begin to look at life differently, your
expectations change, and your brain does what it does best—finds you evidence that you’re right.

You Have a Choice

If left unchecked, your story and your unconscious belief system will keep you locked in the
patterns and problems that have thus far determined your life. However, YOU HAVE A
CHOICE. You can change this story and transform your life.

Throughout the rest of this course, we will provide you with information and tools to help you
make the decision to live differently.
 Learn how to use the power of your own mind
 Bring awareness to your personal narrative
 Question your beliefs and release the limiting ones
 See your life experiences from a different perspective
  Decide what you want in life and how you want to change your story
 Rewrite your story to reflect a higher truth of who you are
 Make decisions to live differently

You Have Everything You Need

We would tell you that you can have, be, or do ANYTHING, but that not entirely true. What is
true is that you can do everything that YOU truly desire. You see, not everyone wants the same
things. Some people may be more capable at certain things or have different access to resources
than you do. This makes them perfectly suited for their life path. But just because you don’t have
those capabilities and resources doesn’t mean you should feel badly or lacking. You don’t need
those things, so if you feel like you do it may because you’re chasing someone else's dream. The
truth is that your unique abilities and circumstances have unfolded perfectly to prepare you for
living your OWN life and fulfilling your OWN desires.

An acorn is small and dry. It may feel insignificant if it compares itself to an enormous and
succulent coconut. But, the acorn doesn’t need the coconut’s large size or meaty flesh. If it
sought to change itself to be more like the coconut, or to become what is the coconut’s destiny—
a tropical palm tree—it would not thrive because it is not well suited for dry, sandy soil and
excessive heat. The coconut is perfectly suited for this environment, and the acorn is perfectly
suited for where it is meant to be.

The truth is that the tiny acorn contains within itself all of the capability to reach into the earth
and pull from within it the nutrients and water with which to grow and expand. It already
contains the ability required to absorb sunlight and convert it into energy. The tiny acorn has
EVERYTHING it needs within in order to transform soil and heat into a magnificent oak tree.

It doesn’t need to be anything other than what it IS in order to fulfill its destiny. And, neither do
you.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rewrite your life story to reflect the truth of
who YOU are. You may not be able to change what happened in the past, but you can change the
way you look at your past, and change the story you tell about it.

You already have everything within you that you could possibly need in order to live your
destiny. Now, let’s utilize the tools that will help you transform this potential into the fullest
version of who you came to this Earth to be.