For anyone that has ever interviewed for a job, one of the first questions you’ll most likely hear is, “Tell me about yourself…” To many of us, we hear that and then begin to tell a story that we have told countless times. We select bits and pieces of our life experiences and we weave them together to give the listener an impression of us that we want them to have. But have you ever wondered…is it true?
True, the events most likely actually happened, but does the story we attribute to those events accurately reflect what actually happened and why? And if not…what is the real story?
“Tell me about yourself” statements are WAY more important than what they may appear to be. They actually reveal more about how WE view our lives than how they may actually be. They tend to support a narrative that we have told ourselves about ourselves and support our belief that we are “less than” we could have been or should have been. We are a failure or a victim or that we were mistreated in some way or a number of other reasons or excuses we allow ourselves to cling on to. They basically scream out, it’s not my fault!
But is that true?
Think of ALL the experiences you have had in your life. Think of ALL the challenges you have had and have struggled with, but you found a way to succeed. Think of ALL the people that helped you along the way, and those YOU helped as well. Also, think of the same events of your “old story” and ask yourself, what good came out of that event? Ask yourself what did you learn from it? Basically, go back and view your life through a new lens and craft a story that empowers you! Create a narrative where you are the champion, the hero, the one that wins in the end! You don’t even have to tell anyone…just tell that story to yourself!
Now how do you feel?
Which story is better? Which story is true? Which story “should” you be telling…to yourself?
Craft a better life story. You’re worth it.