Narrative: “a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.” – Dictionary.com
In Elizabeth Kolbert’s book, H is for Hope, the letter N is full of connecting juice.
She writes about how narratives help us makes sense of experiences, citing a paper published in the journal Climatic Change.
The paper states “Narratives of fear can become self-fulfilling prophecies.”
Elizabeth goes on to share that if the narratives of fear can be self-fulfilling, then so can narratives of positivity.
This is exactly the power of human connection: the narrative we tell ourselves of “I like connecting,” or “it’s hard to connect”, and whatever other versions on the spectrum of connection our internal monologue says can be true.
The truth we choose is how we live in connection with ourselves, our community, our world. It’s literally ours for the making. We get to write our own narrative. The narrative we tell our self is the truth we choose to live.
“Positive stories can also become self-fulfilling. People who believe in a brighter future are more likely to put in the efforts required to achieve it.” – Elizabeth Kolbert
Whatever you choose your narrative to be right now, know that it’s adjustable, changeable, and entirely up to us. Whatever narrative you choose is what you’re choosing to feel connected with, for, and about. It’s also what you’re projecting forward in the world.
So ask yourself right now: What’s my narrative?