Our stories are our world
"We tell ourselves stories in order to live." - Joan Didion
A story is a situation viewed in terms of the information known. The stories we adopt shape how we view our world. They frame how we interpret our situation.
The first "woah" moment I had about understanding the power of story was when listening to the book Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. Yuval points out the concept of money is just a story. Money only works and its value exists because we all collectively agree (and believe) that it should—that this paper thing or digital number on a screen is worth something.
This is an incredible concept. Humans can collectively believe something (like the existence of money, corporations, and governments) and therefore it "exists". This human ability of collective story making works when it is for the benefit of humanity and sadly when it is not. Hence, the cautionary power of which stories we choose (consciously or unconsciously) to adopt.
Stories not only shape us as groups, but also at the individual level. I tell myself multiple stories, a framing of my situation, everyday as a go about my various things and agendas.
I can choose the stories that either support my values, goals, and desires. Or I can passively accept the framing that pulls me in any direction.
Derek Sivers' book Useful Not True highlights the power of reframing, which is essentially repositioning your perspective in the story. The facts don't change, but that's okay. Most things we consider facts are actually not absolutely, definitely true. The world is malleable, and so are the stories we tell ourselves.
Reframing isn't always easy. It can be temping to accept the first story we tell ourselves. Depending on the situation, there are some practical questions to ask ourselves for finding the more useful perspective.