The new Star Wars movie is a huge hit, but my husband and I noticed something while watching it. (Spoiler alert!) The new movie has a different cast of characters, but it’s really the same as the first movie released 40 years ago.
There is a Luke Skywalker character, a Dark Lord character, a Princess Leah character and a droid with an important message. There is also an equivalent to the ‘death star’ that needs to be destroyed.
Sure, the movie is filled with impressive special effects that, when seen in 3-D on a large screen, provide hours of thrilling entertainment. But it’s the same story retold with new characters in each role and some of the old ones thrown in for good measure.
The new writers went back to the story that was most successful for George Lucas, and the result is a “new” movie that delights and thrills audiences around the world. I don’t know if they did it on purpose, and either way, there’s nothing wrong with repeating a story as long as it works for you.
But what if it doesn’t work?
Sometimes our lives are like the new Star Wars movie. Different people come in to fill a role, but the central story is the same. When it works for us, that’s awesome. When it doesn’t, we feel like it becomes the…
Same Shit, Different Day (SSDD)!
Is there a ‘central story’ that keeps repeating in your life?
If you’re enjoying a similar success to the new Star Wars movie, your story might be a good story to keep retelling.
But if you feel more like it’s the SSDD, it’s time to find your central story and change it or completely stop creating and recreating it.
Perhaps you can relate to some of my clients and the common stories in their lives:
- Feeling like a victim – thinking your life is out of your control
- Poor me – nothing good ever happens and you expect it never to change
- Lack – living small because you don’t believe there is enough and you don’t deserve more
- Drama – life is a big drama and you are caught in the middle of it
- People are not trustworthy – so you have to do it all yourself and end up alone
- Fear, worry, anxiety – you’re immobilized by them and can’t move forward in life
- Powerlessness, helplessness – life happens to you and there’s nothing you can do about it
Stories operate in the subconscious of your life. Without realizing it, they become the silent framework upon which the rest of your life hinges. The more you live out your story, the more real it becomes to you and the more you let it define you.
You live your central stories without ever realizing you are doing it.
How can you get off the SSDD rollercoaster?
Acknowledge that your story is creating your world, and realize that it’s time to do something about it!
The first step is to look closely at your life and find your central story or stories. You probably have at least a few of them in your life. A different one about money, work, health, relationships, etc.
The next step is to do something about them.
If you aren’t sure where to start, last week’s blog post might be helpful.
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