“Everything that you or anyone else is living, everything that is being lived by anyone, is in response to the story they are telling. Period! That’s all!” —Abraham
I want to talk about telling a better story—in three specific ways. A better story about your past, a better story about your present, and a better story about your future.
“The content of your vibration equals how you feel right now. And whether you’re thinking about the past, the present, or the future, how you feel right now—as you think about the past, the present, or the future—is your life. And it’s a precious, fabulous, creative life that you are not wanting to squander in a place of resistance. Your life is right now.” —Abraham
Here’s what I notice with many of my clients. Often they tell a good story about one of these aspects of life, but not all three. So, for instance, maybe someone tells a pretty good story about her past, but could definitely tell a better story about her present and future.
Here’s why this is important.
When you talk about your past—even though it’s past—you’re activating that vibration in your present. Same with the future. The future you talk about hasn’t happened yet. But since you’re talking about it right now in your present, that’s the vibration your activating.
Your only ability to create is in the present.
Now the implications of this are clear: If you spend time today talking about your past or future, I sure hope you’re creating something you want. Not re-creating the very past you don’t want. Or worrying about something you don’t want in your tomorrow instead of positively anticipating all the future holds.
I want you to think about how you tell the story of your past.
Here’s the thing: You could tell the story of your past in any number of ways and they would all be “true”. What I mean by that is the story you tell about your past could be factual. You did this. This happened. Then that happened. Then you did X, Y, or Z. All true.
But you could also tell a different version of your past, an equally true version. You did this. This happened. Then that happened. Then you did A, B, or C. Again, all true.
But let’s say that first version you tell is about all the things that didn’t work and went wrong. All the disappointments and regrets. All the times someone did you wrong and life didn’t work out the way you had hoped.
Let’s say the second version you tell is about all the things that did work out and went right. All the good luck and good fortune and good experiences. All the times someone helped you and life went even better than you had planned.
I promise we all have these two versions of our past.
And I find it very interesting many of us feel the need to dwell on the first version—the glass half empty version. And often we’ll say we do this because it’s true. That’s what happened. The letdowns seem truer somehow than all the happy moments.
Or perhaps you do tell both versions. And you think that’s a good thing because you’re being more balanced in your retelling of the past.
Well, I want you to stop. I don’t want you to be balanced! I want you to stop with the glass half empty version and the so-called balanced version. Because I want you to tell a better story.
And that means if you are going to talk about the past at all—and we could even question why hang out with what’s already been—the best thing you can do for your point of attraction today, in the here and now, is tell a better story.
Let me give you an example.
I recently worked with one of my clients on telling a better story.
She had two versions she could tell about the same period of her life. Both were true. I want you to see which one you think is the better story.
The first version is finding out her husband is cheating and then going through a prolonged and painful divorce. This story is about losing the home where she had raised her children, upheaval in her lifestyle, economic insecurity, and losing friends who knew them as a couple.
How did my client feel about this story about her past? Well, I’m sure you can imagine. She felt despair, anger, insecurity, fear, blame, and worry. And so if that is the story she chooses to tell about her past, activating that vibration, then she’ll attract more of the same. More to feel angry and insecure and fearful about.
But I’m happy to say my client has a better story to tell about that same period of her past.
This story is about the pride she feels in going back to school to finish her degree. This better story is about moving to the Pacific Northwest, where she had always wanted to live, which made her feel empowered and appreciative and adventurous. This version of her story is about making new friends and getting a job she absolutely loves.
“You have to begin to tell the story of your life as you now want it to be and discontinue the tales of how it has been or how it is.” —Abraham
That’s exactly what my client has done. She has discontinued the tale of that despair-filled, angry, insecure, fearful story. Instead, she makes a choice to tell a better story.
Make no mistake, the story you tell is a choice.
You do not have to tell the factual documentary version. And this doesn’t mean you’re not being truthful. No, you’re just being intentional about your point of attraction.
Because remember—whether you are thinking about the past, present, or future, you’re thinking about it and activating that vibration in your now.
We also need to tell a better story when it comes to the future.
Here’s what I notice: So many of us are worrying about the future rather than feeling positive expectation, optimism, and excitement about what’s coming.
Also, a lot of future thinking is about that To Do list you have. What needs to be put on it. What you’ll mark off tomorrow and next week and next month. All that needs to get done.
What is the story you really want to tell about your future? Is it about worry and fear? Is it about dropping off the dry-cleaning and picking up milk at the grocery?
Because a lot of us are telling a story about the future that is either fear and worry-based or is about the mundane business and busyness of life. Just think about the future that’s creating.
I doubt either of those is really the story you want to tell about your future.
So what’s a better story you could tell about your future?
What if you were to focus on your hopes and dreams, your wants and wishes? What if you were to tell the story of your future that’s juicy and exciting and makes you feel so good now. Because that, my friends, will help the future you want actually come true.
- A better story of your future would include all the wonderful things you want to manifest—the goals you want to achieve, the shiny pennies you want to acquire, the experiences you want to have.
- The better story of your future would include how you’ll feel when you have those things you want. That better story of your future will give you an opportunity to activate those feeling within you now, even before the manifestations.
Now that’s a better story!
“Your future is going to be like how you feel today.” —Abraham
Really let that sink in. Your future is going to match up with how you feel today. Because right now, today, you are creating your future.
The circumstances and conditions of your tomorrow may look different, but the essence will be the same. However you’re feeling today is the essence of what you’re creating for tomorrow and the next day and the next.
So the future is not really this great unknown. You’ll know the future because it’s going to feel a whole lot like how you feel today.
Now, of course, if you’re feeling love and appreciation, freedom and empowerment, enthusiasm and positive expectation—all those elevated emotions, then your future is going to be amazing.
But if you’re feeling frustration and irritation, worry and fear, disappointment and anger, insecurity and powerlessness, well…you can imagine the future those emotions are creating.
Isn’t it empowering to know you create not only your current reality, but your future reality too?
“My future isn’t about my past. Nothing that has ever happened has anything to do with now unless, in my now, I continue to think and speak about it. Fresh new thoughts today will always give me a fresh new experience.” —Abraham
So the question is: Are you thinking fresh new thoughts?
Which brings us to the third kind of story you’re telling. And this one is about the present.
What is the story you’re telling about right here, right now?
- Are you looking at what-is and complaining about what you don’t like?
- Are you looking around at the absence of what you want?
Your only power to create is in the present moment.
“The story that you’re living, is the story you keep telling yourself, over and over. Start telling a better feeling story.” —Abraham
Now, you have created your present moment from the thoughts you’ve been thinking and the feelings you’ve been feeling. So to create a different kind of present moment and new future, you have to start creating a life you love now, in this present moment.
“Never mind what came before. Never mind what is coming next. Just focus on this sweet spot here.” —Abraham
No matter what is going on in your life today, there are things to appreciate—focus on those. Choose to pay attention to thoughts that make you feel good.
But many of us don’t do that. When the present is not what we want, we keep fighting what-is, keeping our resistance high. We keep saying, But I don’t want this. I don’t like this. I don’t want to be here; I want to be over there.
“That’s what holds people right where they are. They keep arguing about where they are, which keeps holding them right where they are.” —Abraham
Stop arguing with where you are and the parts of your present reality you don’t want and don’t like. Instead, gently see those parts simply as contrast clarifying what you do want and do like. And head in that direction with your thoughts.
You will never feel good focusing on what you don’t like and don’t want. Tell a better story of your now. That’s where your power is.
“Start telling a better-feeling story about the things that are important to you. Do not write your story like a factual documentary, weighing all the pros and cons of your experience, but instead tell the uplifting, fanciful, magical story of the wonder of your own life and watch what happens. It will feel like magic as your life begins to transform right before your eyes, but it is not by magic. It is by the power of the Laws of the Universe and your deliberate alignment with those Laws.” —Abraham
Tell a better story about your past, present, and future.
And if that seems overwhelming to do all three at once, start with the story you’re telling about your present.
Get your attention solely off what-is unless what-is is exactly what you want. Instead, focus on and appreciate aspects of your present that you do like and do want. And tell a new, better story about the rest of it.
“As you imagine and visualize and verbalize your new story, in time you will believe the new story, and when that happens, the evidence will flow swiftly into your experience.” —Abraham
