Your New Story

Now that you are familiar with the major concepts from our The Hero’s Journey travel program – how our stories are our destinies; how everything we do, with or without our conscious knowledge, helps to shape our stories; how stories either take us where we want to go or they don’t; and the three fundamental criteria of all good storytelling.

Here is your Hero’s Journey towards a new story in six steps:

•  The most important story you will ever tell is your own life story
• The center of your life story is PASSION.

Step 1.  Identify PASSION (Ultimate Quest)

Questions to help in the process:

•  What makes you happy every day?
•  What makes your life really worth living?
•  In what areas of your life must you truly be extraordinary to fulfill your destiny
•  How do you want to be remembered?
•  What is the legacy you most want to leave for others?
•  What is worth dying for?

Step 2.  Facing the Truth.

Here you must identify and confront your dysfunctional current stories. Some questions to get you going:

•  In which of the following areas of your life is your story not working? If your behavior is not aligned with your core passion, then this story cannot take you where you want to go.
•  In which areas do you need or want to be more engaged to fulfill your Ultimate Quest?

Step 3.  Select a Story to Work on First 

Because almost all of the core stories in our lives need at least some editing, here are some questions to help you with the selection process.

• Which of your stories causes you the most concern and grief?
• Which of your stories causes the most disruption in your life?
• Which of your stories creates the greatest misalignment with your ultime quest in life?
• Which of these stories would you most like to work on right now?

The story you have chosen to edit is your first Hero’s Quest. If you are to enjoy genuine transformation, then you must commit to work on this story for the next ninety days.

Step 4.  Write the story you have been telling yourself that has allowed the misalignment to occur.

This means including the faulty thinking and strange logic that helped to form the story you now wish to edit. Write in as much detail and with as much specificity as you can. Your task is to unearth completely your current dysfunctional story.

&  In what way(s) does the story yourself allow you to ignore that it is not taking you where you ultimately want to go in life – is not on passion?

&  What logic do you use in the story to justify that your story does not reflect the truth?

&  In what way(s) does the story not inspire you to take action to make this part of your life better?

Before you finish your Old Story, take a few dives into your subconscious world. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What hidden influences might be behind some of your faulty thinking and beliefs that helped to create your current story?
2. Do you get very defensive about your faulty story? If you do, then what are you protecting? Specifically, in what parts of this story are you most fragile and vulnerable? What are you most afraid of here? If you follow the fear, where does it take you?
3. The story you currently tell yourself that you wish to edit clearly has not inspired you to make a change. What is the logic and rationale you have used to keep this faulty story alive in your life for so long?
4. Is this really your story you are telling or someone else’s? Whose voice is it?

Step 5.  Write a New Story 

Write a new story that

•  Is fully aligned with your ultimate quest and your passion
•  Reflects the truth
•  Inspires you to take hope – filled action

To help you articulate your new story, some suggestions:

1.  Start with the words ‘The Truth is…. ”  Describe as vividly as possible what will likely happen if you continue with the Old Story you have got. Face reality head on by connecting the dots.
2. Don’t labor over every word. You will edit it later. Just get your initial thoughts on paper, quickly.
3. Because your New Story packs a cannonshot of reality it will necessarily stir a lot of emotion (the more powerful the better)
4. Your New Story should clearly reflect and connect with your Ultimate Quest in life. Anyone reading your New Story Should have no trouble connecting it with what you care most about.
5. Your New Story should be inspirational for you when you read it. It must move you powerfully: move you emotionally and move you to take action.
6. Your New Story should contain a strong message of optimism and hope that the change you seek will indeed happen if you remain dedicated and persistent.
7. Make sure that this is your story, no one else’s! Be sure this is what you really want!
8. If possible craft your New Story in the context of a major turning point in your life. This change you seek should be characterized as a breakthrough.
9. Work hard to summon your voice of sincerity. Your inner voice must be able to express the message, content, and direction of your New Story completely and unambivalently.
10. In your story aim forward your best voice of passion. These voice can’t come forward without your encouragement.

Step 6.  Design Explicit Rituals that ensure your New Story becomes reality

• Rituals are consciously acquired habits of behavior that enhance energy management in service of a mission
• Rituals represent the vehicle by which your New Story receives the investment of passionate energy
• Link the ritual to one or more values
• Invest energy in it for thirty to ninety days
• Acquire no more than a few rituals at a time
• Create a supportive environment
• A particularly valuable ritual is to begin every day of your ninety day mission by reading your new story