The Kinds of Stories We Tell

There are four kinds of story that are relevant for our purposes in reinvention:

1. A true or fictitious narrative designed to interest, amuse or instruct. Note that not all stories we tell are true, especially the ones in our heads. 😉
2. A narration of events in the life of a person. This definition tends to be the default when we’re thinking about reinvention stories; basically, you’re talking about what has brought you to this moment and where you want to go. This is when you’re thinking of telling your story out in the world.
3. A report or an allegation. The relevant point here is that this story may be accurate or not. You get to make a choice. This is critical when it comes to reporting what’s happening to you in your reinvention—are you telling yourself stories that are true or not?
4. A lie or fabrication. Sometimes we deliberately tell a lie like when we want to hide a job gap or the fact that we’ve been fired. Other times, the lies are subconscious. When this happens, we’re lying to ourselves; for example, like when we believe myths like no one over 40 can get a job.

You want to take all these angles into account when you shape your narrative. Let’s talk more about internal stories in the next lesson!