The stories we tell are powerful. Part of what makes them so powerful is that we don't realize we're telling stories; we think we are explaining fact. We take our stories to be truth.

This article invites you to examine more closely the stories you have been telling about yourself, about others, and about the world.

And more than just examining, I want you to rewrite those stories from a place of infinite possibility.

The Mythic Life process encourages you to break-down the boundaries that you have put in place and stop enforcing your limited perception of reality: who you are, who you can be and what this life is all about.

This practice was first shared in my book, Date Yourself.

Excerpt:

Do my stories inform my behavior and determine how I live my life? Absolutely. Therefore, the stories I tell are a crucial part of my identity and who I am in the world. Can I alter my life by witnessing the stories I tell, knowing they are just stories? Yes. Let's charts the interplay between story and identity.

Get out of your own way and recognize where you once built a life from a figment of your imagination, and in so doing, became your worst enemy. This self-sabotaging behavior is only harmful until you are conscious of it. The stories you tell limit the possibilities you are willing to invest in and will turn your expectations into reality. We all either expect the best or the worst. Our expectations inform our decisions thereby crafting a life. By heightening your awareness of these patterns, you can set yourself free from the shadow side of your storytelling.

The following exercises will strengthen your awareness of storytelling capacity. Come to see what beliefs you have and how they influence your behavior to be intentional and conscientious from here on out. Don’t let a story in your head prevent you from living your life to the fullest! 

Constructing your own Mythology.

Remaking your Identity:

When I read mythology, I can derive meaning from the story’s moral to remake how I think about myself and how I behave. Mythology allows us to be playful and powerful. It gives us permission to be wild and free in our imaginations. The opposite is true when we think about identity. It’s logical, it’s practical. Whatever we think and believe, we make true through our actions.

Let's get creative and playful here for a minute to re-envision your story and your identity with mythic proportions. Allow yourself to suspend practical reality for a moment. Dream up your mythic life. The following exercise will invite you to create possibility, even if it resides in the improbable.

Rewrite your story as a myth. If your life were a cave painting or carved on the walls of ancient temples, what mystical creatures accompany you? Were you born full-grown from a river? What magical powers do you wield? Have you traveled in the underworlds? What gems have you excavated there? Do you ride a flaming phoenix?! Were you born from the collision of two planets? Maybe your superpower is mind reading. Have fun telling a totally new story.

Invent your Mythic Life

Take a look at some of the prompts below to get you started and use your own imagination. This can be a writing exercise, a drawing practice, or both.

• I was born from...

• I have faced the demons of …   and triumphed.

• In the depths of ... I encountered...

• I returned from the underworld with the help of...

• I brought with me treasure of...

• Along my mythic journey, I was most brave when...

• The questions that still excite and propel me are...

• My team of trustworthy companions consist of...

• I call on them when...

• In the bonds of trust I can...

• I am most empowered by the elements of...

• My force is strengthened by...

• I am most unstoppable when...

• My sacred rest looks like...

Devoting attention to examining the stories you tell and how this forms your identity is one of the most intimate acts of dating yourself. Willingness to play with possibility and allowing a little magic into your story opens up what can happen and who you can become. Holding too tightly to any story can stifle the creativity required to live a brave and inspired life!

We are constantly reinventing ourselves, or at least we have the capacity to do so, if we so choose. Our stories and our actions are meaningful. What is your highest purpose? What is your ultimate intention? In the context of this book and the practice of dating yourself, having an indelible relationship with yourself is the ultimate goal. Honoring and celebrating your primary relationship and staying true to yourself is above all else. 

Play with the prompts and chart a new course. Please share in the comments: your stories or any realizations from the practice. 

Get your copy of Date Yourself now.