The Little Stories We Tell Ourselves
Our thoughts are little stories we tell ourselves, usually about the past and future, rarely about the present.
They are the reason why our present doesn't resemble our rooted desires.
Why do we settle? — a question I ask out loud.
We do take what we think we deserve.
On some level, is this our fault?
Although we should take ownership, is it our fault?
Environment knocked over the first domino.
Are the dominos the things that happen to us, or are we each domino?
When people use dominos as a metaphor for our lives, I assume they are referring to domino toppling — carefully laying out hundreds, thousands, or millions of dominoes in complex designs and patterns to be toppled in an elaborately planned chain reaction sequence.
The visual metaphor comes from how each domino falls into the next one, transferring the momentum and force in a sequential line until they all fall over in series.
So, lining up the dominoes to fall one after the other in a pre-planned chain reaction pattern allows this fascinating domino effect phenomenon to occur.
Life can be viewed as a domino effect or a series of chain reactions set off by individual events and choices.
I see so much evidence that supports this…
The butterfly effect — Small, seemingly insignificant events or decisions can set off a chain of more considerable consequences, just like how tipping over one domino knocks down the next and the next.
Interconnectedness — Like a line of dominoes, our lives are interconnected series of causes and effects. One thing leads to another in ways we can’t always predict or control.
Momentum — Once a domino chain reaction starts, it builds momentum that’s hard to stop. Similarly, life patterns and habits tend to perpetuate themselves through inertia.
Sequences — Major life events and stages tend to follow in a particular order or progression.
Fragility — It only takes one breaking point or interruption in the sequence to alter the whole chain reaction, much like life where one stumble can change everything.
However, we have some degree of control and choice over how we influence and react to the chain reactions in our lives through our actions, mindset, and resilience, right?
Can we be both, the domino getting knocked down by forces beyond our control and the hand positioning the dominoes? Can we live in that duality?
We must.
The art of life is learning to respond adeptly when the unexpected domino falls by quickly realigning the remaining dominoes in our desired direction. Life lives in the recovery. Your poise, intention, and action answer what comes next.
One of my favorite processes is to ask the right questions — to myself and others.
A good question: Am I living this current chain reaction I’ve set up, or is it a wandering series of dominoes I’ve passively allowed to fall?
If we’re honest, too often, we slip into unconscious momentum, mindlessly letting old thought patterns and ingrained behaviors dictate the domino paths of our lives. But with courage, we can pause, step back, and take more control.
We get to choose what we want to line up as the sturdy foundational dominoes. From that rooted presence, we’re then equipped.
Life may be a domino effect, but we are not mere toppling pawns. We are the visionaries, the architects, and the artists who can sculpt those tumbling chains into our desired experiences.
And that begins with the little stories we choose to tell ourselves. Our internal narratives, more than any external events, ultimately determine how we live our lives.
So, what story are you telling yourself?
The power is yours to author. Start with the micro-stories each new morning — mindfully construct the narrative foundations that will shape your day.
What will you inscribe as the first line? Is it, “I am resilient and capable.” Or “I move step-by-step towards my desires.”
From that intentional first narrative, you then reinforce it with the next self-scripted line and the next, purposefully articulating the sequential story path you wish to manifest into being.
“I attract opportunities through my talents and worth.”
“I solved the previous challenge, so I can solve this one too.”
“Helpful guides and endless possibilities surround me.”
One by one, you proactively pen these micro-narratives, not succumbing to self-defeating stories of the past nor fortune-tellings of the future but rooting solidly in an unfolding story of your own constructed making.
When the inevitable surprises and obstacles present themselves—as they always will—you incorporate those new storylines into your evolving narrative flow. You revise, you adapt, yet you keep authoring that animating life script from a place of humble confidence.
Because you are not a passive character merely accepting the plot handed to you. You are the storyteller breathing intentionality into existence through each moment of each day.
With love,
Jo
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