Sometimes I feel like I'm still just scratching the surface of all there is to learn about the 'stories' we tell ourselves. Look at the example of Cory Richards – a National Geographic photographer and mountaineer who made history in 2011 as the first American to climb an 8,000 meter peak during the winter. Even after conquering Gasherbrum II, in Pakistan, he still grapples with the same negative thoughts that taunt me on any given day as well.
After years of study and practice in metaphysics, I have achieved something that I continue to be curious about – the ability to watch myself think. This hasn't made me immune from getting pretty darn attached to the tall tales I make up, though. In a podcast with athlete and influencer Rich Roll, Cory Richards shared what I have also come to understand – that we're all immersed in a world of data points that are made up of ordinary, unarguable truths. However, this information isn't enough for our curious minds. Each one of us not only observes the data, but we rewrite the information we glean from it into fantasies of our own creation.
This makes me think of what happened yesterday when the wind was blowing at 35 knots, the ferry I wanted to take sat docked at shore, and there was an announcement, finally, that it wouldn't sail for the day. I could easily have read beyond the facts of the situation to come up with a story that 'they' (whomever may be in charge of ferries) had been short-sighted and had bought less-than-worthy boats for our rough waters.
As I share that interpretation with you, I could further add the drama of my conclusion that 'they' are dull-witted. As a matter of fact, let's give the story even more fuel by asserting that all people in positions of authority are substandard individuals who are unable to make good decisions. The more I hold to any such unsettling idea, the more I am likely see 'evidence' of it that serves to back up my concepts. This is how we become blind to the simple, raw data points and obsessed with our own versions of 'the truth' instead. We may even use this kind of storytelling to get more attention. This, then, encourages us to grow our in positions until they become full blown beliefs, reinforced by our blind spots to the actual reality. Eventually, this may become a kind of identity that is held dear; where we perhaps laud ourselves as intelligent, independent thinkers who distrust all authority.
But it isn't Truth.
Just this morning, I caught myself spinning a tale about why a friend didn't respond to my email. The old me would have written a story backed by theories I created about their lack of care for me. Instead, this time I paused, I noticed myself story-making, and I returned to the simple truth: an email was sent and there was no response yet. Anything else I might add to these facts becomes merely a fabrication. Yet, it can be difficult to hold myself back from the habit.
This is the deep, challenging work before us all: to take a good, long, honest look at our beliefs with the realization that they are merely made-up stories that we have crafted from data points. We are all doing it all the time.
Humans may be wired this way, but that does not mean that we must be victims of the tendency. Awareness is the first step to breaking free of old patterns.
Certainly, some of our stories serve us, leading us toward happier lives. However, others become heavy weights that we carry needlessly. We are always at choice as to what sort of stories we choose to tell, and this understanding is the basis of the work we are passionate about at the Centre. I have experienced for myself, and witnessed in the awakened lives of others, an inspiration that moves people from flailing to self-empowerment. Such inner changes shift everything. Whether we are flourishing or struggling, it is all rooted in our interpretation of simple data.
This teaching will be at the heart of Mindset: A workshop for the New Year. Starting early in 2025, in a safe group on Quadra Island, we will journey out from under the weight of our fictions into a clearer path forward. Join me: Jan. 6, 13 & 20th. www.theCentreCR.org/workshops