Posted October 29, 2009

"It’s the stories man, it’s the stories."

Charlie Byrd, the legendary jazz guitar player, loved country music, as have I ever since I was forced to listen to it every day for a year long ago. His jazz music cohorts couldn’t grasp it, and when they asked him why, his answer was, “It's the stories man, it’s the stories.” Country music is full of interesting stories.

            

Life is about the stories, too. Many of the stories are interpretations of fact, and not fact in themselves. Rather they are what we choose to say or believe about an event.

For example, a few years ago we were deep in the throes of extensive home remodeling and renovation. So much so that the family had to move out for several weeks while I remained behind in the dust and detritus, visqueen sheeting of a construction site. The phrase kept coming to mind, “This is a nightmare situation we are in,” but each time it appeared, I forced it from my mind because to admit that thought would make it true. 

          

 

It would become the story I would tell myself and anyone else who might listen about a horrific and nightmarish renovation project that resulted in my family having to move out of the house for a few weeks. Moving out during the construction was the fact of the matter. Anything else was simply the story that I would make up about those facts.

The story then becomes powerful in determining our emotions related to the events, and in turn, on the level of stress we create for ourselves. Be careful about the stories you make up to describe events and people.

< Previous Page

   

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment