Rewrite Your Story in One Step!

Start in small or in big, whatever suits you. Have you labeled yourself as someone who doesn’t like Brussels sprouts? Give it a second chance! Was someone rude to you at a café? Go back and rewrite your bad experience with a good one. Or go big and face your fear. Challenge yourself and leave with a smile. It’s not about doing new things. It’s about doing things that you think you suck at. Question your status quo and change the narrative!

Find your Move

First, I have to confess my guilty pleasure: reading quotes. It helps me greatly when I don’t know what I’m feeling. I just go through a bunch of quotes, and suddenly, one of them is stuck in my head. Yes, I usually find quotes on social media like anyone else. It was Monday, and I was thinking about my week. I had three days of dance rehearsal ahead of me, and I needed a piece of advice. I was going to perform with my lovely classmates on stage on Saturday. I wanted to put this experience in context and give it a meaning. I was mindlessly scrolling down on my phone when I saw a post about a pink poster in the shop window. Since pink is an eye catchy colour and I desperately needed help to feel better, I quickly read the sign, and it said:

“Go laugh in the places you have cried. Change the narrative.”

What a brilliant idea! I knew that’s what was going to happen to me.
I will change my memory about performing. As a child, I performed several times in dance shows. I was always in the first row (I’m short), and I felt paralyzed with excitement. As a result of this, I messed up the steps. I don’t think anyone noticed except me, but that was enough to feel that I was not good enough and should work harder. I wanted to be perfect. A few years later, after I had managed to turn a drama into a comedy on stage, I decided to move on and avoid the stage.

It was a year ago when I found a dance school again. I enjoyed the vibes there. The school has Christmas and Spring Shows where students can perform with the class. I was so lucky that I found the loveliest people in Copenhagen to dance with every week. When we had a chat about the show, I backed up. I knew I didn’t want to put myself out there, but the people were kind and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. I finally said yes to performing, and excitement has been in the air ever since. I wish everyone could have this supporting background. Many more people would do things for the first time or things they are afraid of.

Time to Laugh

So, the quote got stuck in my head, and I started to create a plan. No matter what, I will enjoy dancing in front of hundred people. I might screw up again, I might miss some steps, but I’m not there to make my life more miserable. More than fifteen years ago, I planted an idea in my head, a deeply ingrained belief that I cannot perform. I set myself free when I questioned this belief and rewrote my story in the spotlight. Getting there wasn’t easy, but I had my supportive classmates and a wonderful teacher. Was I nervous when the lights went on? Very much! Was there anyone who cheered me? Yes, my inner voice told me, “Whatever happens, just have some fun!”. The show was great, people went crazy, and for the first time in my life, I was standing there in front of a hundred people with a massive smile on my face. Did I screw up? Yep! Did I miss some steps? Yep, again! Was I jumping up and down in the end and acting very unprofessional? Yes, and I can’t wait to do it again. Not because I suddenly can’t live in the shadow but because I know I don’t have to be perfect to control my story. Perfection does not buy you happiness. I wish I had known that earlier. The faulty truth I held so dearly just disappeared because I let it go.

Keep a score of good experiences

The place where you have cried doesn’t have to be a physical place. Mine was a different stage in another country. I think we people keep a subconscious list of how things affect us. Not just about people, places but also events. So, I guess I had a lot of bad points about how I felt while putting myself in front of strangers. I had too many bad points, and I drew the conclusion that this was not for me. Now I can add a good point to that list, and it seems better. What is the story you want to rewrite?

Nowadays, we live in a fast-paced society. People are losing their job, losing their hopes. Sometimes, we lose people in our lives. The only thing that we should never let go of is ourselves and a positive attitude. Sure, switch off the positive attitude for a day or a week, or a month but always get back on your feet. Change the narrative, and have some fun!

Thanks for reading or liking, or sharing. :)

Feel free to follow me. I walk slowly, so it will be easy to keep the tempo.