Change Your Story, Change Your Life

There's huge power in changing your story.

When I was in eighth grade, I lived in a small town, and one elementary school, middle school was 11 miles away. And the high school was 20 miles up the road. Middle School was by far, my worst school years.

I was small, I was geeky. I felt out of place in how I dressed and how I looked. I was constantly picked on and poked at. No one was necessarily violent, but just mean. And I felt powerless and small. I had no friends in school. Our house was two miles away from the nearest neighbors. So, my only friend was my little sister, and she was still in elementary school.

To be honest, I hated my life. I assume hormones were kicking in. I was angry at the world with no idea what to do with it. I had an outburst at home once that was so out of control. My mom called our church pastor and told him she thought I was possessed. He didn't have many ideas either.

And there was an opportunity to change my story. My father was laid off from his job. And the only opportunities were in the big city two hours away. He started a new job, we sold our house and moved to a new house. It was very much like starting over as a family. We'd sold what was my parent's dream home on two acres of land and moved into a mobile home.

Dad was working making half of his previous salary. Mom went to work too. I started at a new school, it was a chance to change my story. I changed my name from the nickname I've been called my whole life, Bobby, to my given name, Robert. I changed how I carried myself. I changed my interstate.

I went in with confidence that I could be a new person.

In my ninth grade year, I played on the football team, I had the lead role in the school play. I had perfect attendance. I didn't miss a single day of school. I did great in all of my classes, and had other kids asking me for help. I was the same person, yet no longer a victim, no longer the subject of abuse. In fact, I was likable, I was respectable.

The change occurred in my head, not in the world.

Sure, I had the chance to start new in a different place with different people. But I've learned this can happen in any situation. You can choose to be responsible for your attitude, and the world responds, the people around you will see the change.

I wish I could tell you that I recognize this lesson in all of my future situations. But it absolutely changed my story. And when I remember, it empowers me to know how much my story matters.

And the story that you tell yourself matters.

You have the ability to change your story. I hope that you'll work on changing your story. If you want some help in changing your story. You know, feel free to comment and let's have a conversation about changing your story.