I used to have a gal who worked for me who talked all the time. Finally, one day I asked her, “Sherry do you eat everything you see?” She looked at me funny and replied, “Of course not.” I then said, “Well why do you say everything you think?”
Story telling can become a crutch for not facing the truth. The less you tell your story, the less you will identify with it.
I used to date this really cool guy. He was one of those big biker dudes who was definitely the alpha male in any room he entered. It was just in the way he carried himself. He once told me that the less you tell people about yourself the more mysterious you become. I think this was his secret to his charm.
I first heard about the stories we tell in A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. He explained how we will become identified with these stories and tell everyone who will listen to us about it. This only makes us more attached to our victim mentality. Then guess what? We become stuck in our victimhood and do not understand why.
I mean think about it next time you find yourself telling your story. What are you getting from identifying with being…..sick, divorced, going to the doctor, getting in a car accident, stories from the news, fighting with your neighbors, having a broken leg, being in debt, going to court, complaining about your children, and the list goes on and on.
Observe what stories you tell. How are they serving you? Are they keeping you in victim mode? Try to stop before you share a story today. Ask yourself those 2 questions. Refrain from even talking about yourself.
One great way to do this is to ask the person you were going to tell your story to a question about them. This will quickly turn the table. I guarantee you because people love to talk about themselves. Listen to the story they are telling. Just observe.
You will see that story telling does not serve you and is truly a gift of detachment.