Questions on Story

As always, don’t treat these questions like “homework” or a list that needs to be covered in its entirety.  Instead, simply pick the one question that “hooks” you. The goal of these questions is not to help you analyze what story means in the abstract, but to figure out what a deeper awareness of story means for your daily living.

What stories did your “elders” pass down to you? Are there parts of the family story you need to reclaim or let go tenderly, before moving on? There is truth in “you don’t know where you are going unless you know where you come from.”

What story does your family of origin tell about you? Does that telling leave you feeling seen and accepted or misunderstood?  Does your story today “fit” in the family story?

Who do you tell your secret stories to? How has that made a difference? If you don’t have a person to share with, does art, writing, photography help you to express yourself?  As Maya Angelou wrote, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” How does telling your story help you heal?

When have you had to change the narrative? Changing the story can change our understanding and change outcomes.  How has telling the story from a new perspective helped you, or a relationship or situation?

Have you ever walked away from a story?  A life that just didn’t quite fit who you needed to be?  Or one where you made a huge mistake that you couldn’t repair?  Or where you picked one choice over another? Time and perspective can change how we understand ourselves. How do you tell the story now?