Reshaping the Stories That Shape Our Lives

Do you tend to THINK about your feelings?

Most of us were taught to. When something hurts, we go looking for the reason. We trace the pattern back to where it started, figure out who implanted the story and when, and give it a name. People pleasing. Perfectionism. Fear of abandonment. Then we wait for the relief that’s supposed to come with

When we feel bad, we want to feel better. The positivity movement tells us we can get there by thinking positive thoughts.

There’s a lethal catch, though.

The hidden message is that feeling better requires us to suppress, negate, or numb everything except positive emotions. By pushing away half of what it means to be fully and wholly human, we also

Our world lost so much with the passing of Dolly Parton. It feels impossible to grasp onto anything that can keep us from feeling swamped by grief, and yet most of us never met her personally. She is that rare - perhaps unique - public figure who is widely considered beloved by all ages, genders, races, religions, backgrounds, and political views.

T

Welcome to StoryShift! I’m so glad you’re here.

StoryShift is a self-healing framework detailed in the

A few winters ago, an attractive house I pass nearly every day burned. All people and pets got out safely.

From the street, there seemed to be very little damage. You had to look closely and deliberately to see the slight smokiness around the front door.

For the next two years, she presented this face to the world. And yet if you knew where to look,

She needed to be right. I suggested we agree to disagree.
She needed the last word. I wished her well.

Reading this now, you may immediately see my mistake. I was slower to catch on.

Incidents like this tended to surface first as an asking: Do you think I’ve made that mistake enough times and could move on to a new and different mistake?

That

The patio was all decked out. Three borrowed card tables were dressed in “tablecloths” cut with pinking shears from fabric that looked like a tropical reef covered with bright colorful fish. The “centerpieces” were dime store goldfish bowls, each with their own fish, that doubled as party favors. The “cooler” was the kids’ plastic pool filled with

This weekend, I wrote in bed.

It started with Friday morning’s doctor appointment that didn’t go as hoped and ended in tears. Technically, it was good news. The scans and scopes didn’t find anything wrong. They also didn’t offer any clues for the still-persistent symptoms.

The good news was overshadowed by feeling deflated. Heavy. My eyes refused to

Last week, some guy shared one of my posts for the sole purpose of telling his audience that he was right and I was wrong.

Wrong about what, you ask? Facts. Well-documented, easily-checked facts. Research 100% supports what I wrote.

No, the post wasn’t directed at him. I didn’t even know who he was!

And here’s your giggle for today - he claims to

When we left off, my inner little girl was fuming...

(If you’re on my main email list, you’ve been getting the whole story in your inbox. If you want to be, just click on the link, then Take the Quiz and get a freebie, too.) You can also find the rest of the story in my Substack notes here, here, and here.)

So what do you do for the little girl