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In a world of change, where do you belong? The

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answer's clear, it's time to be strong. Mindful

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growth, that's where we thrive. With Angela's

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guidance, watch your best self arise. Transform

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with strong, reach for the stars. Resilient minds,

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that's who we are. No awakening potential near...

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This is Transformation Talk with Angela R. Strong,

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season two, Empowered Edge series, episode seven.

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Welcome to episode seven of Transformation Talks

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with Angela R. Strong, Empowered Edge season.

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I am Angela R. Strong, and today we're exploring

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one of the most powerful tools for transformation.

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and that is the ability to write your own story.

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Every single one of us is living according to

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a narrative that we've created about who we are,

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what we're capable of, and what's possible for

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our lives. The question is, are you the author

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of that story or are you letting others write

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that story for you? Today, we're taking back

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that pen. For 27 years, I lived according to

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a story that went something like this. I am the

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person who fixes everything for everyone else.

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My worth comes from being indispensable. If I'm

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not solving problems, I'm not valuable. And this

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story served me well in many ways. It drove me

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to excel in the military, to take on challenging

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assignments, to be the person others could count

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on. But by 2024, that same story was destroying

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me. I was burnt out, resentful, and facing a

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crisis that I couldn't fix for myself or anyone

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else. That's when I realized something profound.

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The story that I've been telling myself about

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who I was and what I needed to do wasn't actually

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true. It was just one possible interpretation

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of my experiences. And if I could create that

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story, I could definitely rewrite it. The woman

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who emerged from that crisis wasn't the same

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person who entered it. Not because the facts

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of my life changed, but because I changed the

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story that I was telling about those facts. Before

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you can rewrite your story, you need to understand

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what story that you're currently telling yourself.

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Most of us aren't even conscious of our personal

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narratives because they run in the background

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like software. shaping our decisions without

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our awareness. Your personal story includes your

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core beliefs about yourself. Am I capable, worthy,

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strong, broken? Beliefs about others are people

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worthy. Are they supportive, threatening? Beliefs

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about the world. Is life fair? dangerous, full

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of opportunity, beliefs about the past, where

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my experience is mostly positive or negatives.

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What do they mean about me? Beliefs about your

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future. What's possible for me? What am I destined

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for? Here's the crucial insight. These aren't

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facts, they're interpretations. And interpretation

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can be changed. Let me give you an example. Two

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people experience job loss, right? Person A tells

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the story. I was fired because I'm not good enough.

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This proves I'll never succeed. Person B tells

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the story. I was let go because the company was

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restructuring. This is an opportunity to find

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something that's better aligned with my values.

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Same facts, completely different stories, completely

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different outcomes. Rewriting your story isn't

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about denial or toxic positivity. It's about

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finding more empowering and accurate interpretations

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of your experiences. Here's my five -step process.

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Step one. Identify your current story. Write

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down the story you tell yourself about who you

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are, particularly around areas where you feel

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that you're stuck. What narratives are you living

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by? Step two, examine the evidence. Look at your

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story objectively. What parts are facts and what

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parts are interpretations? What evidence supports

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your story? And what evidence contradicts it?

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Step three. Consider alternative interpretations.

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For every disempowering interpretation, brainstorm

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three alternative ways to understand the same

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experience. Get creative. What would a loving

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friend say about your situation? Step four. Choose

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your new story. Select the interpretation that's

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both truthful and empowering. It should acknowledge

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reality while opening up possibilities for growth

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and change. Step five. Live into your new story.

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This is the hardest part. Start making decisions

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and taking actions that align with your new narratives.

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Your new story becomes true as you live it. Let

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me share how this worked for my career crisis.

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My old story was, I'm a victim of an unfair system

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that destroyed my career. My new story became,

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I survived a challenging situation that revealed

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my true strength and it prepared me to help others

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navigate their own crisis, which is how Calibrated

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Resilience was born. Both stories acknowledge

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the same difficult experience, but one leaves

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me powerless while the other position me as a

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survivor and a survivor and a helper. And guess

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which one that led to calibrated resilience?

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The second, that's how I created calibrated resilience.

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Let's practice the story writing power pulse.

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I want you to think of an area in your life where

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you feel stuck or you feel limited. Take three

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deep breaths and create space for honest reflection.

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Now ask yourself, what story am I telling myself

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about the situation? What parts of the story

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are facts versus interpretations? What would

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a more empowering story sound like? How would

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I act differently if I believe the empowering

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story? What evidence exists that the empowering

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story could be true? Feel the shift in energy

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when you move from a limiting story to an empowering

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one. That's the power of perspective and action.

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Let me give you some common story rewrites. Old

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story. I'm bad at relationships because I keep

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getting hurt. New story. I'm learning what I

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need in relationships and getting better at choosing

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partners who can meet those needs. Old story.

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I failed at my business, so I'm not cut out to

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be an entrepreneur. New story. I gained valuable

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experience that will make my next venture more

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successful. Old story. My difficult childhood

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damaged me permanently. New story. My challenging

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experiences developed resilience and empathy

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that helped me connect with others and to help

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me overcome obstacles. Old story. I'm too old

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to change careers now. New story. I have valuable

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experience and wisdom that will serve me well

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in any new field. Notice how those new stories

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don't deny the challenges or pretend that everything

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was easy. They simply Frame the same experiences

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in ways that create possibility rather than limitation.

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This week, I want you to identify one limiting

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story that you've been telling yourself. Write

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it down. Then I want you to work through it with

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the five -step rewriting process that I just

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gave you. Practice telling yourself the news

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story daily. Notice how it feels different in

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your body and how it influences your decisions

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and your actions. I want you to share your news

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story with someone that you trust. Because sometimes

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saying it out loud helps make it more real. Remember,

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you are not your past. You are not your mistakes.

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you are not your limitations. You are the author

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of your life story, and you have the power to

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rewrite any new chapter starting right now. Next

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week, we're exploring finding purpose in your

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pain. Until then, remember, the story you tell

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yourself about your life becomes the life you

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live. I'm Angela Armstrong, and this has been

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Transformation Talk with Angela Armstrong. If

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you like this episode, like, share, subscribe,

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and I will see you next week on the next episode.

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into legacy we got the key unlocking the leader

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you're meant to be mindful bold and totally