What’s your narrative?

As my talk gets closer, I begin to think more and more about what I’m going to share and how I’m going to share it.

And as I was walking to the cafe for a sneaky coffee, I began thinking about what it was that made me sneaky about it! Everyone knows I drink it and yet there is something at play which still makes me get all covert about my trip to the coffee shop.

So I’m sat here, latte in hand wondering what’s the story that I am running, what’s my coffee narrative and how is it impacting on my life?

You see I believe that the stories we tell ourselves or live by, have an impact on our lives. They can be positive or negative, but they have an impact all the same.

Once we notice our narrative, have an awareness of it, we then have the opportunity to explore the impact it has on us. So what’s my coffee story?

I do love a cup or two, but once upon a time it was five or six a day. Being full of energy is great and I am most of the time, however with the addition of the coffee I was bouncing off the ceiling :-)

There are times when I felt that this was great, so much energy, but what about the focus, or the application of the energy! Then there are the people around who tell tales of how bad it is for you, and how water should be the drink of choice. And perhaps the combination of the guilt from the others and the thought of it being bad for me, led me to want to hid my addiction, thus creating my not so secret secret!

So as I bring my own narrative to the surface, place it outside of myself and observe it, what do I notice? Perhaps that I’ve allowed others to define what is good or bad? Perhaps that I want to please those around me so by not drinking coffee l make them happy? Perhaps I’ve been frightened into doing what’s right for my body, while at the same time rebelling!!!

So there’s my narrative, and there is my awareness coming into focus, and it makes me wonder about accepting self and ones own choices. We can listen to the arguments for and against, but at the end of the day it’s up to us what we choose to do, and when we embrace this choice, we no longer have to hold it as a secret. So I’ll embrace my coffee drinking and not make excuses for it or playfully hide it. Just accept it.

So I wonder what stories or narratives are you running and how can sharing them, bringing awareness to them, allow you to make cleaner choices in your life?