Are You Tired of Your Own Story? How to Change It!

Which stories do you choose to feed? You’ve heard that what you focus on expands. But do you realize that your brain loves to collect evidence to support that story you are focused on? Whatever story (and we all have stories) runs through your mind, your brain actually works to collect evidence to support that story exactly. So your mind literally scans through millions of information and data, all the thoughts, all the things that appear around you throughout the day: commercials, stories, conversations you’re having, snippets of conversations you overhear somewhere else, situations you see going on around you, CNN news at the café or in the elevator,magazine headlines as you walk by... you are bombarded by information. Your mind can’t handle all of it, so it selects what is relevant to you. And what’s going to be relevant is what’s running through your head consistently and what you believe to be true. So, here’s a common story.... “The economy is stalled, it’s stuck, no one is making money anywhere, and that’s why I’m not making any money. My business is going down the drain and I’m going to have to quit.” Your mind will work very diligently to find examples to support this. You’ll overhear other women business owners complaining at a café about their money struggles. You’ll see glimpses of CNN when you’re at a restaurant with big headlines that rant about the dire, awful financial conditions that millions of people are in. You’ll even see things very selectively – the one house that’s foreclosed in your neighborhood (instead of focusing on the four that actually sold at a reasonable price). You’ll see the broken down car on the side of the road (instead of all the new purchase tags on these hybrids and cute Smart cars or the neighbor who just bought a used Mercedes). On the other hand, if you have that story that says many businesses are prospering, reinventing for greater possibility, and are, in fact, expanding, your mind will work to find the evidence... you see, hear, read about expansions, profits, successes, reinventions, new possibilities. So which story do you CHOOSE to feed? My guess is that you choose to feed the story that small businesses are expanding and prospering, and that women in particular are being successful in business and that abundance is all around you. How do you change your story? My favorite tool for creating a new story is your gratitude journal. I call mine JoyFlow Sightings. EVERY day write down examples, little snippets of evidence (little evidence, big evidence, little conversations) – examples of prosperity, expansion, and abundance... that new story you want to support. Here are the examples I’ve seen to support MY story.... * I just met a woman who is creating a 20-million dollar company selling clear-wrap bags for cell phones and iPads to protect them from sand at the beach, water in the bathtub when reading a Kindle, etc. She has huge investors, contracts with Target and Best Buy.... she is moving and grooving with this very cool innovative product. * Another woman started making cookies in a children’s shelter, and now she’s in Whole Food stores in the southeast, getting ready to expand. They’re actually prepping her to expand into all of the Whole Foods. * I read an article in USA Today about summer concerts. Last year they were down in profits, so this year that decrease in profits has caused them to reinvent. They’re not canceling their concerts. They’re not throwing in the towel. They’re actually looking to give customers a more unique experience to make it worth paying ticket prices for a concert. As a result, the entire industry is being reinvented. * One of my clients just got her first $5000 client – paid in full. * One of my clients just held a VIP Day for an up-and-coming author – on a beautiful location on the ocean. Talk about abundance and beauty! Look all around you. Collect evidence of the story you want to feed. Which story do you want to grow? To get you started, answer these questions: 1. What is the story you CHOOSE to feed? 2. What is the evidence you see, read, and experience to support your new story? 3. How does this new evidence change your thinking? 4. What possibilities are coming up for you as your change your thinking? Looking for evidence of your new story will shift your thinking and open you up to expansiveness and new possibilities that are all around you just waiting for you to claim them. Just try it. Let me know how it goes – I love hearing about the shifts!