Who Am I Without My Story?
Landmark training emphasizes “the idea that there is a difference between the facts of what happened in a situation and the meaning, interpretation, or story about those facts." It proposes that people frequently confuse those facts with their own story about them, and, as a consequence, are less effective or experience suffering in their lives”
When did this part of my story begin? When did I begin to let my story define me? When did I decide to allow the words others spoke formulate the opinion I had of myself? When did I begin to set my value by the image I saw in the mirror?
Others words are just that – nothing more, nothing less:
Why is your sister so small and you’re not?
I will give you a gift if you lose 10 pounds.
Oh, I can finally see your hip bones again.
You are 140 pounds; you need to lose weight.
I gave power to those words and created a story to define who I was:
When I lose 20 pounds, I will……
Oh great – a picture of a fatty and skinny.
I will be loved more when I weigh less.
I am fat.
The story I created was that I wasn’t enough…. I measured my self worth with what I saw in the mirror, what the scale showed me, always allowing this number to dictate my value.
Years of therapy, awareness healing and coaching have made me more aware of my story - and unfortunately it is still there…hanging on, not wanting to let go. I find myself frequently falling below the line and grateful that I can identify these moments and continually work on moving forward.
Who am I without my story? What would it be like to let it go?
I am kind, passionate, and accepting of others. I am a woman, wanting to share my love of life, my experiences, my failures and my successes with others. I feel joy when I share my love of dance and movement with others, and I am proud of the communities and friendships that have been created. I fear failure, but I know that if I don’t let go of this fear and try, I will not find success either. I know that others love me unconditionally – regardless of my body shape. I work daily to look in the mirror and love and accept my shape…knowing that I am beautiful inside. I am growing and learning everyday, and I am grateful for those who continue to walk this journey with me.
Nicole
Meet Nicole Riehl
I am a motivator, mentor and mover.
I have danced almost as long as I have walked. I believe in the importance of movement in the body, mind and soul. It helps us live with flow and ease. I feel most alive when I am motivating and mentoring others and inspiring them to see the light in themselves.