The Story You Tell Yourself Shapes Your Life - Limiting or Empowering It

What story are you telling yourself about who you are?

Whose story are you telling yourself because someone else gave it to you?

Is it empowering your potential or trapping you from your dreams?

What if the story of your life could be rewritten starting today—on your terms, free from past limitations?

What if the narrative holding you back could transform into one that propels you forward?

Stories that trap us feel like a series of struggles with no clear ending, when could it be the path to the adventure of a lifetime.

Over the years, I’ve met countless people who see their stories as tragedies based on the traumas they experienced. Yet, from where I stand, their lives sound like a heroic journey of surviving because somewhere inside there has always been life-forwarding energy that wanted more for them.

The story you tell yourself isn’t just a reflection of your life—it’s the blueprint for your future. Shift your narrative, and you shift your destiny.

There’s a story about Satchel Paige, the legendary baseball player. When asked how old he was, he replied, “I don’t know.” Then he said: How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?

What could you accomplish if you freed yourself from the numbers, the years of your age, and labels that you use to define yourself?

A friend of mine, Paul Young, once experienced amnesia after an accident. While most of us might find that terrifying, he described it as peaceful. Without the weight of a remembered abusive past, he felt free—unburdened by a story. What would it feel like to leave behind the stories that no longer serve you?

Many of us carry stories handed to us by our parents—not out of malice, but because they needed us to fulfill roles that gave them comfort. Instead of being empowered to create our own narratives, we were bound to theirs. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Let me share two stories that show the power of reclaiming your narrative.

In the first, a well-meaning grandmother shaped her grandson’s identity with six words: “Remember, you’re only a Jones.” Whenever he heard sirens and flashing lights rushing down the street, he dreamed of being a fireman, or a police officer, But, she reminded him of his limitations. “Remember, you’re only a Jones. She likely thought she was protecting him, but her words clipped his wings. Those six words became his internal compass, steering him away from possibilities.

In the second story, a woman I'll call Mary Smith broke free from her imposed narrative. Years after her divorce, she was asked about her connection to her ex-husband. Instead of identifying herself as his former wife, she said, “He’s the father of my children, but we’re not related.” With those words, she reclaimed her identity and wrote a new chapter.

LWhen I met Susanna in college, she was studying education. One of her assignments involved tutoring a young boy. Despite her efforts, his reading didn’t improve, and she started questioning her ability to teach.

I asked her, “If not teaching, what would you want to do?” She shared a childhood memory with me: walking through a courthouse with her mother and noticing a sign that read, “Welfare Office.” When she asked what they did there, her mother said, “They help people.” Susanna had declared then and there, “That’s what I want to do.”

Her mother, with the best intentions, urged her to follow a safer path. As a widow, she was a cook at an elementary school. She saw teaching as a secure and respected profession. One she wanted to pursue but could not financially make it happen. Susanna realized that living someone else’s story wasn’t enough—it was time to write her own. She changed her major, and the rest, as many of you know, is history.

These stories have one thing in common: a moment of decision. The decision to pick up the pen and rewrite the script.

Like Susanna, Mary, and Paul, your transformation begins with one question: What makes me come alive? Your answer is the key to creating a life of meaning, authenticity, and joy.

So, I'm inviting you to ask yourself: "What story will I choose to live starting today?"

The heroic chapter of your life is waiting for you to write it. Will you pick up the pen?

Imagine waking up each morning energized, knowing you’re living the story you’ve always wanted.

Your life isn’t just a collection of moments—it’s a story waiting to be told. Pick up the pen, and start creating the story you’ve always dreamed of living.

If you are stuck and want to overcome the barriers to creating the life you want, I understand. I've been there and done that - way too long

I have medicine for you.
Schedule your Free Strategy Session with me today on my website pauldfitzgerald.com.

You can do this!!