I love reading epic adventure books. Is that your thing too? I like comedies with action and romance. I tune in to podcasts about people who are pushing the boundaries of their existence. Do you? Often, I spend my free time learning from other people’s stories. When others share, we can gain perspective on new topics. But if they aren’t sharing a true story, is it worth paying attention to?
Is it real or fake? True or false? Based in fact or the illusory? Do we care? Why do we have to know what’s make-believe and what’s reality? Is there nothing to gain from the imagined?
When we take a look at the stories we focus on, we can become aware of our frame of reference. Are you drawn to non-fiction, fiction, or both, and what does that mean about you?
As humans, we have always passed down our stories to share lessons, traditions, and entertainment. Why do we make so much meaning around whether or not a story is true or false? We probably do this because we want to gain the knowledge of those who blazed the trail before us. We may also do this to ride on the emotional rollercoaster of life. If we don’t like our current reality, maybe we just slip into an imaginative series from our streaming services. Does that debase our own reality?
What if all stories were, in some way, true? What if they were all false? Truly, all stories are a mixture of fact and fiction. Memory is fallible. Perception is biased. Perhaps, some stories need a little exaggeration. Whether we want to be scared, educated, feel like we’re falling in love, or catch up on the latest, books, social media, and TV have been the go-to since we replaced the peddler and bard. Still, we consumers desire value from the media we consume, regardless of truth.
I suggest that, instead of filing stories into reality based or not, we focus on how we feel. How did consuming that media affect your mood? Does the media inspire you to actions that benefit your life? All stories are based in reality on some level, it’s just a reality founded on the relative truth in someone’s head. What’s your truth? Do you share it in your day to day? Stories are important to cultures. See what kind of life you can fashion fostered by the stories you absorb, whether fact or fiction.
Too many stories competing in your head? Reach out to Hollie for a session that can liberate you from stories that no longer serve you.
Hollie Warnick is a Behavioral Kinesiologist and Reiki Master, the secretary of the GVC ReSources board and mother of 4. Join her world via podcast, personal transformation sessions, classes and more at HollieWarnick.com or call (520) 800-4383.