What’s Your Story?
None of us has control over what happens to us in life but we do have control over the story we tell about it.
Looking back on your life experiences in a mindful way is critical to healthy development throughout life, but especially during the second half. This has been shown to:
- Enhance personal and relationship growth
- Facilitate life transitions
- Reframe challenges in ways that increase resilience
“Story is a tool for making us whole; stories gather up the parts of us and put them together in a way that gives our lives greater meaning than they had before we told our story.”
-Robert Atkinson
Stories Matter
What are the advantages of writing yours??
Every life is an unfolding story, a one of a kind tale with infinite potential for comedy and tragedy. Because we lead busy lives, we seldom take the time to notice the roles we play in the stories we tell and may continue to replay a particular storyline long past its’ prime. We may also fail to appreciate that we are the spin doctors of our own tales, with the power to shape our story as one of triumph or tragedy.
Writing and telling about life experience is a basic way we come to know ourselves and make sense of what happens to us. How we interpret that story affects how we feel about ourselves, which influences how our lives unfold.
Research on the outcomes of Guided Life Review and other forms of story writing/telling show that participants have:
- Increased self-esteem (less depression) and a greater sense of personal mastery
- Renewed interest in past activities and hobbies
- Increased sense of meaning and purpose
- Sharpened memory and integration
- A stronger, more positive view of the future
- Develop friendships and confident relationships with other group members
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