Narrative Identity
Craft and maintain the story you tell about who you are.
You are the narrator of your own life
The story you tell about yourself shapes your identity and your possibilities.
Narrative identity is constructed from selected experiences
You choose which experiences to include in your story — the selection creates the identity.
The power of narrative framing
The same life events can be framed as tragedy growth comedy or adventure.
Redemption narratives
Stories where bad experiences lead to good outcomes produce more resilience.
Contamination narratives
Stories where good experiences are ruined by bad events produce more helplessness.
Examine your current narrative
What story are you currently telling about yourself and your life.
Narrative editing
You can deliberately revise your personal narrative without denying facts.
Character in your narrative
How do you portray yourself — as hero victim observer creator.
Agency in narrative
Stories where you are an active agent produce better outcomes than stories where things happen to you.
Chapters and transitions
Your life has chapters — recognizing transitions between them helps you navigate them.
The origin story
The story you tell about where you came from shapes what you believe is possible.
Future narrative
The story you tell about where you are going shapes your current decisions and motivation.
Narrative coherence over time
A coherent narrative connects past present and future into a unified story.
Multiple valid narratives
You can hold several valid narratives about your life simultaneously.
Narrative and audience
You tell different versions of your story to different people — notice these variations.
Social narratives and personal narratives
Cultural stories influence your personal story — examine the influence.
Narrative and memory
Your narrative shapes what you remember and how you remember it.
The narrative review
Periodically review your personal narrative for accuracy usefulness and coherence.
Narrative and therapy
Much of therapeutic work is narrative revision — changing the story to change the experience.
Your narrative is your most powerful meaning-making tool
The story you tell about your life creates the life you experience.