The stories we surround ourselves with have power to shape our reality.
Not only the stories we read in books. Social media, the things we talk about with friends and acquaintances, the news we read, and the shows we watch are all stories that shape our reality, too.
Stories make our world bigger.
One of two things happens as our world becomes bigger.
One possibility is that we can begin to feel insignificant. We might get sucked into the ugly world of comparison. Or maybe it feels as though the world’s problems are too big and messy for us to navigate.
The other possible result of our world becoming bigger is that our problems, and the world’s, feel less overwhelming. Reality no longer feels like something to shy away from, but rather a place where we can explore mysteries and make discoveries.
Stories can challenge our views, inspire us to make changes, and even point us in a solid direction, and those are all great things.
Stories can also offer something simpler and infinitely more valuable. The best journeys to the world of story are like venturing into a dark, unknown forest and emerging with a wildflower, or sometimes armfuls of wildflowers.
It is no one’s job to say, ‘This story is worth reading, and this one is not.’ But it is your job to pay attention to how you are when you return to reality from the world of story.
This is not a case for only reading happy books – some stories have ripped me apart, while also gifting me with many wildflowers. Stories should explore the rich fullness and diversity of emotional life.
Paying attention to ‘how you are’ means recognizing how a story is shaping your reality, and then asking yourself if that reality is the one you think is true and the one you want to be in.
The best stories enlarge our reality (like exploring a forest) AND gift us with something valuable and beautiful (like the wildflowers we find in that forest).
How are the stories in your life shaping your reality?
* The featured photo picture book spread is from “The Golden Glow” by Benjamin Flouw
