The Power of Your Story
the old story pops back into your mind, be consciously aware of your thoughts. If you wake up in the middle of the night and find that you’re telling yourself that old crappy story again, say to yourself, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, I threw that out. That’s a horri- ble story! It’s nonsense.” And replace it with the new one. SAY YOUR NEW STORY OUT LOUD In fact, once you have the new story or stories, then it’s time to anchor it in your subconscious. Remember, you may have been thinking those old limiting thoughts for 10, 20, maybe 30 years, or more. Just as it takes more than one session at the gym to get in shape, so, too, do you have to embed your new story into your life many times. Through my 30-day challenge, or on your own, say the story out loud for the next 30 days, ev- ery night before you go to bed. Make it the last thing you think about as you’re nodding off, and make sure it is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning. Try to make this a daily ritual for at least the next month. Also, find someone in your life that you can tell your new story to who would appreciate it—someone who will smile and encourage you rather than pooh-pooh it and call you a dreamer. Tell this person how you’ve evolved and share the process of exchanging old story for new with this individual. Ask someone to be your accountability friend, a partner or coach who can help guide you or at least keep you on track. If you have somebody who can mentor you and guide you, grab hold of him or her and don’t let go. I’m willing to commit dollars to make sure two of these folks are in my life at all times. I go four times a year to meet with Dan Sullivan at Strategic Coach, and he’s my accountabil- ity coach, delivering the wisdom that helps me be a better edu- cator, a better businessman, and a better person. I’m a teacher, and changing people’s lives is my obsession, but I want to be held accountable for my own growth as well. A coach is some- one who can really help you do that. If you have someone in
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