The Story You Tell

I've been thinking lately about what it takes to make a life meaningful. 

There are many components:

Relationships.

Purpose.

Love.

Service.

Working hard at work worth pursuing.

I believe that one component to a meaningful life is the story we tell ourselves about it---

past, present, and future.

How do we view our childhood?

What about our marriage?

What story do we tell about the pursuit of our goals and dreams?

Did you know that you get to write your story?

Let me give a small example:

My young family of 6 has moved several times since Ryan and I married 13 years ago and he started medical training.

11 times to be exact. 

We've lived in 6 different states. 

It might be easy to assume that this has been really hard on our family. 

That our children have suffered from being uprooted multiple times. 

That their lives lack stability.

No chance to make lasting friendships.

No roots anywhere.

But I decided a few years ago that I was going to tell a different story--

an empowering one:

Aren't we lucky to have been able to live all over the country?

We have friends in just about every corner of the nation.

My children have been able to experience life in the South, the West, the Midwest, and the East Coast.

We have lived in big cities and teeny tiny towns.

Rubbed shoulders with some amazing people.

Experienced diversity at church, school, and within our communities.

My children have had the great opportunity to make friends with people that come from backgrounds that are vastly different than their own.

What an opportunity and blessing.

We have lived in Red states, Blue states, and Purple states. 

It has been a great adventure. 

Some might say that I'm just delusional.

Not seeing life for what it really is.

Sugar-coating it. 

But when you think about it, 

isn't it a delusion either way? 

Now I'm not saying it has been all sunshine and roses. 

But I like to believe that everything my family has experienced has been for our good.

All of it. 

Like Gabriel Bernstein puts it, 

The Universe has Our Back. 

Our life is really just made up of the stories we tell ourselves. 

And I want my story to be an empowering one. 

I don't know what our future will look like, 

but I KNOW that it will be a great adventure. 

What part of your story are you willing to rewrite?