The Universe is Telling Me Something

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On January 19 two unrelated, but intrinsically intertwined, messages were put out into the universe: The New York Times published Writing Your Way to Happiness with this take away message: 

"[R]esearchers are studying whether the power of writing — and then rewriting — your personal story can lead to behavioral changes and improve happiness.

The concept is based on the idea that we all have a personal narrative that shapes our view of the world and ourselves. But sometimes our inner voice doesn’t get it completely right. Some researchers believe that by writing and then editing our own stories, we can change our perceptions of ourselves and identify obstacles that stand in the way of better health.

It may sound like self-help nonsense, but research suggests the effects are real."

And then Martha Beck emailed the below "Daily Inspiration:"

"The past doesn’t exist except as a memory, a mental story, and though past events aren’t changeable, your stories about them are. You can act now to transform the way you tell the story of your past, ultimately making it a stalwart protector of your future."

Both the Times article and the Beck tidbit have the same message: You can rewrite your past stories to serve your present self. Whether it be via blogging, working on my book or even self-talk, I'm determined to heed this advice. Why dwell on the pain of past events, when I can tweak those memories into a story about overcoming difficult times to become the person I am today? I am the author, after all.

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P.S. Check out Martha Beck's full post on How to Stop Regretting Decisions here.

Image by Chris Gash via New York Times [Writing Your Way to Happiness, Tara Parker-Pope, New York Times, 1/19/15]