how to talk to yourself
how to talk to yourself
weekly story work exercise
If you’re new here, Story Work is the name of my current book-in-progress. It describes a process of reflection, reclaiming, and reimagining the stories of our lives. It involves looking at your life experiences as creative material that you have the power to shape. Paid subscribers receive Story Work exercises every Sunday night at 8 pm et.
Read on for an update and a preview of our weekly exercise.
On January 27 at 10 am et, the Inner Story Writing Circle will be joined by author Natalie Lue to discuss her book, The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want. We’ll be discussing the book, her writing journey, and creative practice.
If you are not a member and would like to join us, you can purchase a copy of Natalie’s book (any format), email me proof of purchase, and I’ll send you the link to join us. Proof of purchase can be a photo of you with the book, a picture of your receipt, etc.
I’m also hosting a giveaway. Everyone who comments on this or any post that goes up between today and Thursday, January 25 will be entered to win a copy of The Joy of Saying No and access to our visit with her on January 27.
how to talk to yourself
You’re watching your gray and brown tabby cat sitting on top of her fuzzy tower by the window watching the birds and squirrels go about their daily adventures. You’re thinking about her animal instincts and if she longs to be out there running wild, hunting, and exploring. You don’t know if you’re feeling her feelings or channeling your craving through her.
The outside world is unsafe for your precious tabby, so you keep her indoors, wrapped in love and warmth where she can live out her days without the need to fight for survival. But you wonder if she looks out the window and yearns to join the wild.
Now that you’re in your forties, your old fear of missing out has turned into a preference for staying home. And still, adventure calls and you miss the wanderer who trusted the wind to carry her, who hopped on flying carpets, and ventured into the rush without fear.
Did you notice when you changed? Did you notice what caused it?
You went from living for the moment to having babies who needed structure and routine. That’s when you noticed that the noise of the world was drowning out a cry from inside and you turned inward. You switched from commuting to a busy office in the city everyday to working from the comfort of your home.
Then strange things started happening. Remember the outburst at the beauty expo when you were a hair blogger? How you practically screamed in that poor woman’s face? Remember getting you and your New York friend lost in DC when you thought you knew where you were going? Remember the meltdowns in the MVA, at the car rental place, at the train station? Remember the sweating and the stuttering and the panic? How people looked at you the way they used to look at your mom? Remember how you lost your nerve and your confidence?