Storyliving

Connect more deeply with yourself so you can tell magnetic stories that change the world.

The desire to be truly yourself is alive and well despite how much people have tossed the word “authentic” around.

Authenticity - the quality of being real or true.

I tell my clients all the time, “don’t get it right, get it true.”

The truth shall set you free after all.

But what even is the truth?

John Green has a quote that I love, “You don’t remember what happened. What you remember becomes what happened.”

You may already know our memories aren’t very good at tell the absolute truth.

“There’s what you said happened. There’s what they said happened. And then there is the truth.”

All of us take our recollection of events and call it the truth, when it is not the truth. It is simply the story you have constructed in your mind to uphold your current world-views, beliefs and identities so that all these things that have happened to you make sense.

We are meaning making machines. It’s what we do. Understanding the world around us allows to feel safe. It’s why we’re top of the food chain. It works.

Until it doesn’t.

So you experience life, then you curate and story to make sense of these events, which turn into your beliefs, which create your identities and from your identities you take action. The action you take (or don’t take) make up the truth of your current situation (the current status of your wealth, health and relationships).

Most of us want to improve our current situations.

We want to live more authentic lives, yet we seem to struggle to understand the truth of what we actually want or find it challenging to take action on becoming that person (or both).

Here is a 6.5 step storytelling process I use to uncover what I want and unapologetically pursue it.

I call it, Storyliving.

Step 1 🆎 Narrative Coherence

Scientist have created a scoring system to study how well someone tells their life story. They call this Narrative Coherence. Here’s what they learned.

“Personal narratives help us to make sense of our experiences. One important measure of our success in drawing meaning from life events is the coherence of the personal narratives that we construct about these events.”

In other words, personal stories are how we make sense of what happened to us. One way to tell how well we’ve made meaning of our life is by how clear and coherent the stories we tell are.

They go on to say, “More coherent personal narratives are associated with better memory, deeper understanding of self, more effective communication, and stronger identity. Personal narrative coherence is also linked to physical and psychological health and to closer family relationships.” (pubmed)

Said simply, better narrative coherence = a more authentic life.

I am hosting a live training on Thursday, February 19th where I will teach how to create narrative coherence and how to tell that story effectively in 30 minutes.

I'll send you the zoom link with one click. All you gotta do is tap here.​

My ultimate goal is to help you understand your story so you can tell magnetic stories that awaken change in others. I want to help you change the world.

In order to do that, we must continue to pursue our most authentic life FIRST. Then, and only then, we can truly change the world.

In the rest of the training I will walk you through the next 5.5 steps outlined below.

Step 2 🍓Desires: Identity transformation by getting clear on what you specifically want

Our stories hold the breadcrumbs of our deepest desires.

Your true gifts are right under your nose.

Let’s begin to identify them and own what we really want our lives to look like.

Step 3 ☯️ Communion: Are you truly living in accordance to what you say you believe and who you say you are?

Have you seen Inside Out 2?

This movie models what every self help book ever is trying to say. [spoiler alert] The characters in Inside Out 2 do not outcast anxiety at the end of the movie. They love it and give it a new empowering role to play.

By lovingly and curiously communing with yourself, you can begin to release the parts that hold you back and take bold and courageous action.

Step 4 🎬 Action: Unapologetically pursue your desires

Now that you are clear on what you really want, it’s time to take that bold and courageous action.

But don’t forget. It’s just a hypothesis.

Life is an experiment and there’s no arrival.

At least now we are consciously choosing who we get to be.

Step 5 🦸‍♂️ Becoming: Challenges = Transformation

You actually don’t become a more authentic version of you by doing inner work.

In the midst of your action, you will experience challenges. In the face of these challenges you have a choice. Do what you’ve always done. Or do something new. This is your moment of transformation. THIS is the next magnetic story you get to tell.

Step 6 📚 Storytell: Sharing your story with the world is an act of full embodiment (self love and self trust)

You tell your stories publicly FOR YOU first.

Storytelling is saying to the world, “Come see me fully as I am. Cast your stones. Judge me. Let my people find me and love me because I know who I am and I love myself.”

Step 6.5 💞 These stories awaken change in the world (your life’s work)

Just so happens that these are the stories that awaken change in the world (and position you as a leader in your space).

🔄 Now, repeat the process back to step 1

You can only give and receive love to the extend at which you love yourself.

This entire process is for you first so that your soul is nourished and you have the capacity to support others.

I hope to see you at the training tomorrow. Just tap here for zoom link.​

With love,

Matt