Here is the rule to remember in the future, When anything tempts you to be bitter: not, ‘This is a misfortune’ but ‘To bear this worthily is good fortune.
Marcus Aurelius
3 Ways to Change “The Story” of Your Life According to Marcus Aurelius
Hello Beautiful,
Have you ever heard someone say, “And that’s the story of my life….?” Have you ever noticed that it usually is connected to a negative storyline? We all can tell multiple stories about our lives.
Some are sob stories that connect one injustice or struggle to the next. We can also tell the story that we are unstoppable, resilient, and growing in the midst of trials. Today, I would like to explore how you can create a story worth celebrating.
Acknowledge the Trials
You can honor the struggles without letting them be the defining narrative. Tragedy and injustice are real. But they don’t have to be the most powerful part of your story. They can serve as facts you acknowledge, without being the all powerful limiting factors of your story. Instead, you can focus on how you became resourceful and determined to rise above them.
“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy” -Marcus Aurelius
Transcend the Trials
You may have heard the phrase, “You can’t keep a good (wo)man down.” We gain strength and honor by rising above our circumstances. Indeed, the greatest honor is to use difficulties to become unstoppable.
“Here is the rule to remember in the future, When anything tempts you to be bitter: not, ‘This is a misfortune’ but ‘To bear this worthily is good fortune.”- Marcus Aurelius
Savor the Challenge
We can choose to look for the way to turn our “misfortune” on its head and let it become our opportunity. Yes, we may need to grieve it for a while. Yes, we may need to pause and catch our breath for a time. But, after a little while we need to decide what to do with what just happened.
We can choose to let it define us as the victim of the story or as the heroine of the story. This is where our Spiritual life is key. It is only with a view big enough to encompass design, purpose, and redemption that we can really do the heavy lifting needed to alchemize our story into something inspiring (literally “filled with Spirit”).
“Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack” -Marcus Aurelius
These are intense times we live in. Challenges abound. It’s up to us to find how we are going to move through this time in our lives and in the world.
We can “leak” our focus out into discouragement and endless grief or we can acknowledge the challenge, rise above the victim narrative, and become the leader we are being asked to become.
For all of our sakes, I am praying you will find the strength to embrace the ache and turn that goo you are rolling around in, into the body of the butterfly you can become!
Cheering you on,
Rachel
ps. If you would like to work with me to help you reach your goals, get more information here: Click here for details