It’s My Story and I’m Sticking to it

“Your story is the gold in your goldmine.” Rob Hackbarth

“It’s my story and I’m sticking to it,” she says as I question her previous statement. The ‘she’ is my mom and the phrase is one she regularly uses.  Whenever her expression to me or one of my three sisters seems less than accurate, her defense is to magically summon this old saying.  It is convenient because no evidence of support is required. Mom often spins this pet phrase in a comical situation. Rather than defend the indefensible, she pulls out her funny remark. We have a good laugh, knowing her remark is ‘tongue-in-cheek.’

Has this phrase been passed down in your family? Perhaps, someone in your circle of friends relies on these eight words on a regular basis.

It is one way to defend your proclamation without providing any proof of what you are defending. Convenient, huh? Sort of like, ‘take me or leave me’.  Or – ‘this is what I believe and I am not going to change my belief.’  Sound like anything you have experienced? Perhaps, you have relied on this decree in the past – maybe more than you want to admit.

 Popular singers, like Jimmy Buffet, use this line in some of their songs. Colin Raye wrote a song with the same title, “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It.”

I find myself sometimes using this phrase with my grandkids. Not surprisingly, they give me ‘that strange look.’ I imagine their thoughts, “Oh Panpa, not that again!”  The connection to my mother is part of my reason for utilization. The saying reminds me of her.

The one word in this phrase that is often overlooked is ‘story.’  Your story is important and relevant because it belongs to you. Your story is the gold in your goldmine. If you stick with anything in life, stick with your own stories which unleash the power to advance your life in the direction of your hopes and dreams, as much as any other ingredient in your goldmine.

Your story is full of all the emotions you experienced in numerous special moments. Whatever was recorded by your senses is part of your permanent memory. When you recall a time in the past, you also have the ability to resurrect inherent emotions. As human beings, our feelings play a significant role in all of our major decisions.

Successful salesmen understand the persuasive power of our senses. It is part of the sales process. At a crucial point, most purchases will be decided based on emotions.

You can implement such a common sales tool in other pursuits. When you are trying to achieve a certain goal or accomplish a task today, recalling how you succeeded in the past, in a similar situation, can be constructive. As you recall those emotions, you powerfully propel your effort and energy toward a successful outcome. Does this make sense to you?

Success is repeating what works. If you can retrieve from your mental storehouse examples of personal success similar to the present effort, you already have a powerful tool of encouragement. It is akin to the memory muscles used by golfers in replicating swings they have made earlier. Past positive performance can and should be repeated and predictive of future outcomes. Previous success in the form of your story is gold in the goldmine of your life.

Your story is also educational – filled with specific elements of how to proceed or not to proceed. A built-in how-to manual for living. Some critics will point out that the evidence is only anecdotal. Drawing a conclusion from one example in your life can be risky. I do agree with this premise, as it relates to logical thinking. We need to exercise caution when formulating conclusions that will affect our lives in a major way. However, the example – the anecdote –  is you.  And, there is no more powerful person to change your life than you. And, one of the best ways to change your life is by reviewing and learning from the stories of your life. You have already had more teaching moments and lessons learned than you will be able to incorporate and use the rest of your life. The best success book you will ever read is your own story. Lots of good chapters. Full of wisdom. Prepared just for you.

Do you need a powerful formula for increasing your success in life? Do you want to add an ingredient that is personal, emotional and full of wisdom? Rather than doing 10 things that current success authors tell you to do, would you prefer something designed just for you? Custom-built by you, for you? If your life is a DIY (do it yourself) project, how would you rate your progress?

Are you, right now, using the wealth of gold found in the stories of your life? Are you using what you already know? How can you take this gold and invest it into the rest of your life?

If you started today making changes based on things you have already learned and experienced, you will need the rest of your life to finish. You have plenty of material, don’t you?

The most powerful book you will ever read is owned by you.

The author is you.

The gold is your story.

“It’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”