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The Stories We Tell

September 8, 2011

How many times a day do we make up stories in our heads, either about ourselves or the people around us or the world we live in? Even stories about our future, about events that have not even occurred yet?

I estimate that I do it at least 10 times a day. Maybe 20.

Hint: Don’t believe yourself. Listen to your story, but don’t believe it because it’s mostly fiction.

An Example:

Someone walks out of my class early and I tell myself a story that they hated me and/or my class.

Possible reason: They had a doctor appointment. They had gas. They had to pick up their child. They forgot to feed the meter. They needed to tweet. They had to go to work. They decided yoga sucks. Class was too easy/hard. They felt sick. They thought planking was a fad not a real yoga pose. They forgot to take their meds. They had a date. They were hungover or wanted to develop a hangover. They had to be on set ( ok, I live in Los Angeles.) They had to get down to the unemployment office. They had to go fire someone. They are Brad Pitt and their 6 children were calling.

A Mark Hobley watercolor.

Even if the “story” I make up is true, which I doubt, but even if so… so what??

Drumroll please…. It’s not personal anyway!

So today I have decided to not make up any stories in my head about what I assume something or someone means about me.

I have decided to no longer make up stories about my future based on fear or my past.

My good friend Eleanor Roosevelt said to me once over a good glass of Cabernet….

“Jen, You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

Eleanor sharing her sage advice with Jen Pastiloff over some vino

Then she taught me how to go from crow pose to handstand.

Okay, she didn’t really tell me personally, but that is indeed a fun story! Tell more of these stories and less of the others!

So today, my Manifestation Challenge® is this:

Get through the day without making up something about yourself that simply is not true. What story can you stop telling today? Please share and let me know how the Challenge is going for you. 

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No Comments

  • Reply Barbara Manuel Potter September 8, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Wow big one!!! I need this. Thanks.

  • Reply Monica September 8, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    so good, jen. love this AND that you are friends with eleanor roosevelt. AND that i’m not going to tell myself any stories, at least for today. xo.

  • Reply Jennifer Pastiloff September 8, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    thought you would like that Monica.

    • Reply Kerry September 8, 2011 at 8:50 pm

      I love this and I TOTALLY need this. I may, however, make up a story that I’m a fairy princess. Tomorrow. — Kerry

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