It’s Time to Change the Narrative

I recently read a great piece about six-word stories.

“The story of your day adds up to the story of your life….what do you want it to say?” — Arielle Ziv

I decided to start my own.

Over the years I have journaled my deep dark inner experiences, written countless pages of would-be books on everything from parenting to heartache to divorce, written and published blog posts, started and restarted gratitude journals, but never six-word stories inspired by the future.

What will I want my story to look like, what will I want it to say? And how can I possibly say it in only SIX words?

I had my heart broken by a man I loved dearly just days before; a man I wanted to grow old with. Devastated, I welcomed the distraction and the challenge and began to write.

5/14/20 Heartbroken, shocked, feel sick. So unexpected.

5/15/20 Please don’t give up on us.

5/18/20 The tears finally came, won’t stop.

5/19/20 I am whole. I am enough.

5/23/20 When will my heart smile again?

5/24/20 Few steps forward, many backward. Grief.

I could add more but I think you get the picture. My stories were depressing and essentially the same; heartache, burst of something resembling strength, followed by more heartache. I was grieving, yes, but is this what I wanted my life story to look like? The question gnawed at me. I decided to give myself a finite number of days; not to grieve per se but rather to allow that grief to define the story of my day.

So, eleven days later, while still grieving, I decided to change the narrative.

5/25/20 I finally published on Medium today!

6/1/20 I am strong, capable, and brave.

6/6/20 I am thriving despite circumstance, weird.

6/7/20 Making memories with the kids, priceless.

6/8/20 Wow, writing for eight publications now!

6/9/20 Story was CURATED! Legit just cried.

When I allowed myself to step out of my sadness and to enjoy life despite it, even if just for the sake of the story, I came alive again. It is possible, it seems, to grieve and to live simultaneously; to ache and to miss, to feel sadness and happiness, to feel inspired, empowered, and heartbroken all at once.

I decided to write myself some future stories to live into:

6/12/20 Bought myself flowers for the weekend.

6/20/20 Drove to Austin. Because, why not?

6/25/20 Reached my goal; 100 Medium followers!

The more I live my life, creating a narrative that excites me, the less I remember to write my six-words a day, but then again, isn’t that the goal, to live into our best life story? So…I do it for the story. Join me.

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Previously published on “Change Becomes You”, a Medium publication.

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