After the recent and electrifying 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, (TIFF), a festival abundant in highly innovative and creative storytelling, I have gotten to thinking about the stories that we tell to ourselves. What are the quality of the stories that we tell? I routinely find myself mulling over stories of my past and making judgements upon them, or I am creating tales of the future that slide anywhere from spectacular, to the mediocre, to occasionally scary. Sometimes, I’m thinking about other people’s stories: what they did, the choices they’ve made – oft times with a little judgment sprinkled in. I am, however, becoming more innovative, myself, in my storytelling; I am more discriminating, adventurous, and inspired in the stories in which I engage myself in from moment to moment, because I know that these stories are the foundations from which my personal universe emerges and they are the spirit from which I will evolve.

Stories are very powerful. We are creative in nature and infinite worlds and possibilities spin out from our imaginings. We are free to think about any story we so choose, so why not make them good ones, inspired ones, sky’s the limits ones, stories where the worlds that evolve out from them will be ones that we want to experience. Be willing to be generous when thinking about the lives/stories of another. Most of us are interested in the stories of others, me included, in fact, that’s why I love movies so much; I love a good story, but if a story isn’t inspiring a sense of possibility, compassion, or love within me, I release it and  replace it with a better one. Unless we are celebrating, being inspired by, seeing the highest outcome of, or in some way divining the wisdom from someone’s story, we are wasting our creative potential. 

When I think about someone else’s life, though it is their story I am contemplating, I realize that I have the ability to add positively to, both, the story and to that person by holding to the stories highest potential and outcome. This quality of thought also influences what reflects back into my own life. Often, I catch myself thinking about other people’s patterns, decisions, and negative circumstances or occurrences, and as a result I find myself not feeling good. When I can think upon any story my mind can conjure, why am I preoccupied with a story that doesn’t feel good? I must consider why it doesn’t feel good, and the answer is always the same: it doesn’t feel good because I’m not telling a complete story; unless a story is pondered from a spirit of love, then its isn’t the whole story. If we are thinking on another’s story, or on our own for that matter, and it doesn’t feel good, then love has been left on the side lines and ideas and beliefs based in limitation and judgement have replaced its potential. This realization has taught me to take note of the quality of the stories that I entertain and what I am adding to them or leaving out. In allowing love to complete the story, it, ultimately, becomes grander and, both, you and the person who’s story on which your are thinking are fuelled to rise to that energy.

If something I am thinking about is not actually happening in the present moment then it is, truly, but a story. The past doesn’t exist anymore, so all that remains is the story we tell about it. The future is yet to be and so, all that is are imaginings based either in fear or love. Life and reality only exist in the pristine space of the present moment, and how we now perceive what once was or the possibility of what is yet to be, those perceptions literally, become the substance of that which evolves. We obtain access to the most powerful and creative energy when we stay present. When we drop worn and practiced stories, keeping our minds fully in the present moment, we make space for new and empowering stories and outcomes to emerge. An episode comes to mind as an example of this: I had invited an ex over to come visit. After the breakup, every time I saw her conflict over past relationship issues would always come up and ruin our encounter. This one particular time, I made use of my knowledge that in every moment we are new creations, and so, I laid down the old story, rested in the assumption of that knowledge, and kept my mind and consciousness in each present moment. I said to myself, “In every moment, both her and I are new creations and I will not deal with her according to whom either one of us used to be, but according to the newness of whom we are now, and if she shows herself to be merely a new version of whom she was, then I will manage that appropriately in the moment of.” So, beyond the old story, I allowed her room to show up as whomever she brought to the moment. It was an extraordinary day, nothing of the past or future were dragged into it, we were right here, right now and we each communicated from whom we were in each new moment. We are all a new creations evolving in every moment, if only we acknowledge that and let it be. I allowed for a new story, a story of new creation, and a new creation is was what expressed.

Our stories are powerful, they evolve into infinite new worlds and possibilities! So, in light of this, what are the stories I’m more apt to tell myself now? I tell myself the good ones! Whether they be stories of past or future, I am sticking to the inspiring, sky’s the limit stories, stories who’s energy I want to see reflected back into my world. My stories are filled with more generosity, so when I contemplate my own stories, or those of another, they are more complete, containing less judgement and limitation and more love. I stay more in the present moment, leaving room for new stories to emerge from the pristine, powerful, and ever creative space of the present! I am so excited and I look forward to a life of rich, adventurous, and inspiring storytelling, for I am assured that my stories are the foundations from which my personal universe emerges and that they are the spirit from which I evolve!