Happy 3-Minute Thursday!
You are busy, so let's make this quick. No fluff, no filler, no spamming. Just three minutes each week could change everything.
Minute 1 - Idea
If you find yourself longing for a lifestyle that doesn't align with your values, let it go. Life's too short to chase someone else's definition of success. Create your own path and enjoy the journey, even if it means walking in flip-flops while others strut in stilettos.
Minute 2 - Quote
From the celebrated American journalist and author Joan Didion:
"We tell ourselves stories in order to live. We interpret what we see, select the most workable of the multiple choices. We live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the 'ideas' with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience."
In other words, we create stories and narratives to give meaning to our experiences, and the stories we tell ourselves shape our perception of reality.
Minute 3 - Reflection
How have the stories you've told yourself shaped your perception of your life and experiences?
- Self-limiting stories: For example, "I'm not good at math" or "I'll never be able to lose weight."
- Victim stories: For example, "I can't get ahead because my boss doesn't like me," or "I'll never be happy because my parents didn't raise me right."
- Success stories: For example, "I worked hard to get where I am today" or "I have a talent for making people feel comfortable."
- Love stories: For example, "I'll never find someone who loves me for who I am" or "All men/women are unfaithful."
- Future stories: For example, "I'm going to be successful and wealthy," or "I'll never be able to retire."
I want to hear from you. Send your reflections or thoughts by simply replying to this email.
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Until next week,
Payton Minzenmayer
p.s. What I'm reading these days