Just hearing me talk about the idea of writing yourself into your dreams is likely to bring up some common fears and misconceptions about writing your story—myths that can make you avoid writing your story altogether. So let’s shed some light on them.
MYTH 01: I don’t have time to write my story.
If you’re like most people, when you think of writing your story you probably imagine having to write your memoir, which means writing an entire book, which feels like it would take forever.
TRUTH 01: Your Dream Story starts with only 5 pages.
If you do want to write your memoir one day, your Dream Story is (in my opinion) the best place to start. It’s easy to get lost in the process of writing your memoir, because it’s hard to tell where to start, what you should include, and how much space to give different experiences of your life.
So you don’t have to write a memoir to make your dreams come true. If you do want to write a memoir, I highly recommend starting with your Dream Story, because you’ll just be adding more content to a sound structure—with a clear beginning, middle, and end—that you’ve already created. And your memoir will be all the more compelling because it’s grown out of a compelling short story—your Dream Story.
MYTH 02: I’m not special enough.
Another thing you might be thinking is: “I’m just a bartender/teacher/stay-at-home mom/candlestick maker… is this for me?”
The answer is: Yes, this is absolutely for you!! Especially if you’re in a job that doesn’t light you up and make you excited to get out of bed every morning.
TRUTH 02: You are just as special and worthy of your dreams as anyone else on this planet.
Every human on this planet has dreams, and you are meant to be living yours. You just need a story that makes you believe that.
Other people can tell you that until they’re blue in the face, that you deserve your dreams, but you won’t believe it until your story carries that message and naturally makes you believe it, without having to try.
MYTH 03: My story is too boring to write.
This myth takes many forms, like, “my story is too boring” or “it isn’t interesting enough” or “no one cares about my story.” This myth actually arises from a deeper myth, and that’s that the purpose of writing your story is for other people to read.
But as we’ve talked about, the purpose of writing your Dream Story is to change your life and make your dreams come true—it has nothing to do with writing a story that anyone else will read! So it doesn’t even matter how interesting your story is. That said...
TRUTH 03: I’ve never read a boring Dream Story.
If you’re concerned that your story will be boring, know that you’re in good company. Even Elvis once said: “I hope I didn't bore you too much with my life story.”
Even though you’re not writing your Dream Story to impress anyone, this method naturally draws out the most fascinating aspects of your story as you learn how to see yourself through your own eyes, instead of those of your family, friends, and culture.
You don’t need to be famous or accomplished or better than anyone else to have an interesting and compelling story. You already have an interesting story, no matter what you have or haven’t done so far.
MYTH 04: I am not a writer.
You might be thinking that you can’t write your story because you’re not a good enough writer. But this method is designed to work for anyone from completely novice writers to seasoned storytellers who write for a living.
That said, writing your Dream Story isn’t about how well you write. It’s about being as honest with yourself as possible, on paper. Remember, you’re not writing your Dream Story for anyone else to read. And besides...
TRUTH 04: You ARE a writer.
The only kind of writing you need to do (to be successful with this method) is the same kind that you do every day, all day, in emails, text messages, and social media posts.
Where grammar doesn’t matter and you’re just writing down the thoughts in your head, as you would say them out loud, without editing or analyzing them. The more simple and raw your writing is, the better.
Do you resonate with any or all of these?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I resonated with all of them at one point or another, but thanks to your help… I am well on my way to having mine completed. ❤️