5 Ways to Have a Life of Possibilities

5 Ways to Have a Life of Possibilities

Seeing possibilities and taking hold of opportunities aligns closely with a growth mindset, which is the belief that our abilities, intelligence, and personal growth are not fixed but can develop through effort, learning, and resilience. This perspective is also deeply connected to narrative practice, which helps us re-author our life stories in ways that empower us rather than limit us. Let’s look at 5 ways a narrative approach can support us in pivoting away from seeing our life situation as fixed or hopeless and to choose rather to pay attention to possibilities.

10 Signs That It’s Time to Reinvent Your Life Narrative

10 Signs That It’s Time to Reinvent Your Life Narrative

Loss is not a prerequisite for our reinvention, although loss has a mandatory learning module that requires us to reassess our lives. We can choose reinvention at any time. It might be boredom, frustration with repeated disappointments, or an unwavering desire for change that motivates us to let go and move on.  Have a look at the list of 10 reasons why it might be time to let go of the old patterns and habits and to consider a plan for reinvention of your life narrative.

Follow Your Bliss

Follow Your Bliss

Joseph Campbell (1904–1987) was an influential mythologist, writer, and lecturer best known for his work on comparative mythology and religion. He explored universal themes and archetypes in myths, legends, and stories from cultures around the world, showing how they reflect shared human experiences and spiritual truths.

Change and Saudade

Change and Saudade

Migrants know too well the sadness that can travel alongside them with the repressed understanding that they will continuously be separate from the very places, people and experiences that once may have been the cause of much joy and excitement.  This separation is an elusive feeling combining the sadness of loss and the pining for a memory with a hope that a reunion with that person, place or time may reoccur. This feeling is referred to as saudade in Portuguese. What distinguishes saudade from nostalgia is the sense of hope that nestles in with the feeling of loss.

The 3 Phases of Personal Transitions

The 3 Phases of Personal Transitions

People transition through many different roles throughout their lives. Sometimes these changes seem to happen effortlessly, and we glide into new ways of being without much drama or resistance. Other times the changes can be tough. We may not want to see ourselves as ‘between jobs’; living with a significant illness; single; divorced; fired; an empty nester. Many experiences can change how we like to think of ourselves, and we can, at times, have a tough time coming to terms with our transitions. We can struggle to launch ourselves into a new understanding of who we are becoming. This migration of identity can become stalled, and we can feel stuck. 

Same, Same, but Different

Same, Same, but Different

The behavioural economist, Daniel Kahneman has written extensively on the biases and heuristics that influence our behaviour and decision-making processes. Daniel Kahneman's happiness theory offers the idea that we have two selves - the experiencing self and the remembering self, and that the remembering self influences our overall sense of happiness than the experiencing self. In other words, we can have an overall poor, or horrible experience, but if it ends well, we typically remember it in a positive way.  

Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap

In our lives there are a suite of master narratives. These can be dominant and widely accepted versions of events or a story that shapes and influences our understanding of things and our perception of reality. Gender, age, nationality, race, religion, education, social class – these are all examples of master narratives that surround us. 

The 4 Benefits Gained from Deconstructing Stories

The 4 Benefits Gained from Deconstructing Stories

By deconstructing problem saturated stories, we can start to see how we have internalised messages and meanings about ourselves that simply may not be true. Recognising how a problem story is impacting our life and restraining our potential can open up an awareness of where the problem story is less dominant and what is made possible when we bring our attention to other parts of our character and behaviour that contradicts the problem story. 

I’m the Problem; It’s Me!

I’m the Problem; It’s Me!

As we move through life, we may pick up messages about our differences. We can become aware of dreams and wishes we feel excluded from having and we may come to conclusions that we are not good enough to have or enjoy some of the offerings of life. We arrive at a decision that there must be some sort of problem with us. Many times, we then pay attention to situations, comments and interactions that validate this assumption that we are the problem. 

The 3 Dominant Problem Stories

The 3 Dominant Problem Stories

For all of us, problems can visit our lives at any time. There are times when we might feel as though our problems over-stay their welcome and, like unruly house guests, they can invite more of their problem friends to crash into our lives. Some problems move in alongside us and can travel with us for decades. This is one of the problems with problem stories! Some problems pop up and move on in relatively short bursts of time. Regardless, none of us is immune to problems.  When I work with individuals and teams, I notice that problems stories can fall into a few dominant themes.