WE ARE NOT OUR STORY

 “That’s my story, I’m sticking to it!” 

Cute phrase. I’ve said it many times. But it’s not just cute. It says something about our penchant for attachment. Obviously, it’s impossible to live without our “story,”--without being attached to where we’ve been, how we got here, and why it all happened. And after all, our stories are endlessly fascinating, aren't they?! (If you say yours isn’t, well, that’s fascinating, too.)

But when we “stick” to our story, we’re stuck.

Why? Because we are not our story. Rather, our story is the after-the-fact consequence, the passing aftermath of who we are at any given (and rolling) moment. Our “story” is largely irrelevant except for the parts we deem otherwise--the parts we choose to stick to.

What is attachment? It’s the significance (read: degree of stickiness) we give to each thought, feeling, person, relationship, event, and experience, etc, that happens in our lives. If we attach little significance to something (good or bad) it has little or no effect on us--on our thoughts, feelings and subsequent decisions. But if we attach a lot of significance to it, we’re choosing to make it part of our identity and we're injecting its relevance to everything we think, say and do. 

So let’s beware. Let's be aware.

Some people think their story is absolutely everything that has ever happened to them. Yes and no. For all practical purposes, our story is really only comprised of the things to which we are attaching significance. That’s what makes it “our” story.

The good news? We each get our own glue stick.

“See, I am making all things new…” (Revelation 21:5)

TODAY.

LET’S GIVE THE WORLD & OURSELVES A GIFT.

LET’S THINK ABOUT THE STORY WE’RE STICKING TO...OR NOT.