Language & the Power of your Narrative

Language and our interpretation of events, and not the actual events themselves, frame the results we get as well as our future actions.

You’ve been striving for that promotion for months now, only to recently find out that it’s been given to someone else. What goes through your mind:

• My boss favours Julia more. I am more qualified, but he simply likes Julia more. I need to find another job where I’m more appreciated.
• I knew I wouldn’t get it! These things never go my way, I’ll never move up the company ladder!
• Maybe there are aspects of my performance that need improving. I wonder if Julia and my boss would be open to a conversation about how I could improve?
• Julia must have sabotaged my chances by either bad mouthing me, or schmoozing the boss, heck maybe she used her sex appeal..

Each explanation serves as a starting point for future actions, which lead to certain interactions and results.

What’s your explanation or internal narrative, are you even aware of it, and that you’ve been building them your whole life?

If you’re not aware of your explanations, the option of creating a more powerful story isn’t even an option!