March 31, 2025 • 14 mins
In this 14 minute episode we explore how the narratives we carry shape our thoughts, behaviors, and experiences. Drawing from narrative therapy, I discuss how it's often not the problem itself—but the story we attach to the problem—that creates our suffering.
We dive into the power of meaning-making and how the definitions we assign to events, people, and emotions deeply impact our identity and well-being.
You'll learn how to identify limiting inner narratives, shift into more expansive ones, and become the conscious author of your own story.If you’re ready to reframe your beliefs and rewrite the story that’s holding you back, this episode offers both insight and practical guidance.
♾ In a fast-paced world like the one we live in, time is one of our most important assets. For a few minutes every episode, I, Tannaz Hosseinpour, will be discussing topics that aim to enhance the quality of your life, by helping you feel empowered to take inspired action on your personal growth journey.
Connect with me for daily insights on:
www.instagram.com/MinutesOnGrowth
www.facebook.com/MinutesOnGrowth
More resources available on www.minutesongrowth.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.
We dive into the power of meaning-making and how the definitions we assign to events, people, and emotions deeply impact our identity and well-being.
You'll learn how to identify limiting inner narratives, shift into more expansive ones, and become the conscious author of your own story.If you’re ready to reframe your beliefs and rewrite the story that’s holding you back, this episode offers both insight and practical guidance.
♾ In a fast-paced world like the one we live in, time is one of our most important assets. For a few minutes every episode, I, Tannaz Hosseinpour, will be discussing topics that aim to enhance the quality of your life, by helping you feel empowered to take inspired action on your personal growth journey.
Connect with me for daily insights on:
www.instagram.com/MinutesOnGrowth
www.facebook.com/MinutesOnGrowth
More resources available on www.minutesongrowth.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
You're listening to The Minutes on Growth podcast, the show
that brings you mindfully curated insights into relationships, spirituality, personal development,
and everything in between with your hosts Tenas, the same
for Hi so Frian's at Tanasa, the same for and
Welcome back to another short solo episode of The Minutes
(00:24):
Sound Growth Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Today, I'm want to talk about something that can completely
shift the way you experience life, and it's the power
of storytelling and meaning making. Because here's the truth, it's
not always the problem that's the problem. It's the story
that we have created about the problem that holds us back.
(00:49):
So everything we experience is filtered through the meaning we
assign to it, and that meaning is shaped by our past,
our conditioning, and our conscious beliefs. So in this episode,
we're going to explore how narrative therapy helps us separate
ourselves from our problems. We're going to understand the power
(01:10):
of meaning making and how it shapes our reality. We're
going to learn how to identify the limiting stories we're
telling ourselves and discover practical tools to rewrite our inner
narrative in a way that feels empowering and expands us
So let's begin. We are all natural storytellers. So from
(01:35):
the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep,
we are constantly making meaning out of the events in
our lives. Bye, here's the question. Is the meaning we
assigned to things empowering us or limiting us? So let's
take an example. Imagine two people lose their job on
(01:55):
the same day. Person A might say I got fired.
This is proof that I'm not good enough, there's something
wrong with me, I'll never be successful, and I should
just settle for less. And person B says, I got fired.
This sucks, But this is the universe redirecting me towards
(02:17):
something better. This is an opportunity to realign with a
career that truly excites me. Same event to completely different meanings,
and because of those different meanings, these two people will
experience the same event in completely different ways. So person
(02:38):
A might spiral into self doubt, they might hesitate to
apply for new opportunities, and ultimately they're going to prove
through their actions that their limiting story is true. Person
B might take inspired action network and find a career
path even more aligned with our purpose. So this is
(03:02):
how powerful the meaning we assign to things is So
I want you to take a moment and ask yourself, like,
what meaning am I attaching to the things that happen
in my life? And am I framing my experiences in
a way that limits me or expands me? And So
I want to talk about narrative therapy and this idea
(03:24):
that you are not your story. So narrative therapy is
based on the idea that we are separate from our problems,
and it helps us realize that we have the power
to rewrite our experiences by changing the story we tell ourselves.
It's a very powerful therapeutic modality that I want to
share with you. So here's a simple way to start
(03:45):
practicing narrative therapy in your own life. Setone. We want
to externalize the problem. So instead of saying I'm an
anxious person, we're going to say I am experiencing anxiety,
but I am not anxiety in what I'm saying. I
am stuck. We say I am feeling stuck in this moment,
but I am capable of movement. I have the words
(04:10):
I am tattooed on my wrist as a reminder that
whatever we put next to it kind of gets embedded
and twary our identity, and I don't want my identity
to be I'm an anxious person because anxiety is just
an emotion that I am experiencing in my body, and
I want it to arise and subside. I want to
(04:31):
feel it. I want to create a vessel where it
flows through me but doesn't become me. And so when
we separate ourselves from the issue, we give ourselves the
power to change it. So stuck too, question the story?
Where did the story come from? Is this my belief
(04:54):
or was it conditioned into me by society, family or
past experiences? And then ask yourself, is this the only
possible story or is there another way to see this?
I love this prayer of just asking the universe help
(05:15):
me see this differently. The course in Miracles calls miracles
a shift in perception? Is there another way for me
to perceive this? Just ask the question from the universe
and just sit and allow yourself, allow that new vision,
that new perception to come to you. And then step
(05:39):
three is rewrite the meaning. What is a more empowering
meaning I can assign to the situation? And how can
I refrain this experience in a way that serves me.
I've mentioned this in previous episodes, but you know, sometimes
(06:00):
people ask me, like, how do you know for certain
that the universe has your back? And I'm like, no
one knows anything for certain, But would you rather live
in a world where the universe has your back or
the universe is abandoning you and there's no support system?
Which one feels safer to you? Which one feels more empowering,
more expansive. So let me share another real life example
(06:23):
with you. I once had a client who was struggling
with rejection at work. Anytime she wasn't chosen for a promotion,
she would tell herself that, like this always happens to me,
I'm not worthy, I'll never be enough. So she loved
the company, but she wanted a promotion in terms of
(06:43):
her position and an increase in pain. And whenever there
was like an opening for a position, she would apply
and she'd get rejected. And so she had built an
entire narrative around rejection, one that reinform this notion of
unworthiness and self doubt. And so we started to get
(07:05):
curious with it, and we broke it down, and as
cliche as it sounds, we started to reframe rejection as redirection.
So we started to work with a subconscious mind and
assign a new meaning to this rejection. So the previous
(07:26):
meaning was i'kno good enough, and the new meaning that
we started to embed into her subconscious mind was this
is not meant for me, and the right opportunity is
still on its way. And we continued to feed this
new belief to her mind and body, and you're going
to be shocked at what happened next. So the more
(07:49):
she started to accept this new narrative and this new truth,
different opportunities start to knock on her door. And then
one opportunity from another company showed up where it was
a similar position, but a significantly increase in pain, one
(08:13):
that she didn't even think honestly was possible for her.
Like when I would tell her, like, what's your goal income,
she would never say that number because she just thought,
you know, based on my experience in X, Y and Z,
it's never going to happen for me. And she had
this deep desire to like have her own place and
to move out of her parents' home. And guess what,
(08:36):
the bonus, her signing bonus was the right amount for
her to get the flat that she wanted. So being
rejected her you know, her previous employment really opened the
doors for her to be redirected to this new employment
where her pay was more. She got the bat the
(08:57):
bonus to get that apartment. And then here's where the
story gets interesting. While she was in the new company,
really the opportunities that she was seeing reinforced this new
narrative that I am worthy and that I am enough,
and so there's started to be an even deeper identity shift.
(09:22):
Fast forward a couple of months, her previous employer reached
out to her and said, we have another opening and
we want you. This is the position that you want it.
This is the title that you want it, so come back.
(09:43):
And she said, hmm, okay, it feels good that you
guys finally came around to giving me this title in
this position. But I can't go back to that pay.
And this is the pay I'm getting. You need to
match that. And I remember before she told them, you know,
(10:04):
you need to match that. In her mind it was like,
is it even possible because this pay in that company,
in that old company might not be possible. But she
now was operating from this place of I know I'm
worth it, I know him enough because she felt seen
(10:24):
in that company, she felt valued in that company, in
the new company, and with this identity shift, so much
more magic entered her life. Because her old employer turned
around and said, we won't match it, she was shooketh. Shooketh.
(10:45):
She went back to her previous employer and the company
that she loved, in a new position, with the new title,
with the same pay, and all she needed to do
was shift that narrative from rejection to redirection, from I'm
not worthy to I am worthy to I'll never be
enough to I am enough. The meaning that she gave rejection,
(11:09):
and that shift around that meaning, it created an identity
shift which brought around all the desires that she wanted.
So you can do this too, You can rewrite your story.
So let's get practical. How can we do that? Step one,
(11:30):
we become aware of the dominant story that we're telling ourself.
So what is the common theme in your inner dialogue?
If your life was a book, what would the title
of your story be? What would the title of the
different chapters be? What would this chapter be called? Is
(11:50):
the story limiting you? Or is it empowering you? Step
two find the origin of the story. Who taught you this?
Was this belief passed down to you by your parents,
by past experiences, by culture? And does this belief still
serve the person you are today? Step three, Create a
(12:13):
new empowering meaning. What is another way to look at
the situation? If your best friend had this experience, what
advice would you give them? And then what new belief
will allow you to feel more at peace and in alignment?
And then the last step, which is super super super important,
(12:35):
reinforce the new story through action. Your subconscious needs proof
that this new story is true, So start looking for
evidence that supports your new belief. I want you to
surround yourself with people, with books, and with experiences that
reinforce this new narrative. So so, friends, at the end
(12:59):
of the day, we are not just experiences of life.
We are storytellers of life. And the meaning we assign
to events shapes our emotions, our actions, and ultimately our
experience of our future. So today I invite you to
ask yourself, what story have I been telling myself about
(13:22):
who I am? What you meaning? Can I give to
my experiences that will empower me? And how can I
rewrite my narrative into one of growth, resilience, and self trust.
Because you are not your past, you are not your fears.
(13:46):
You are the author of your own story and you
can turn the page at any moment. Thank you so
much for being here. If this episode it with you,
let me know I'd love to hear the story that
you are rewriting. Also, don't forget to press the subscribe
(14:09):
button to leave us a comment. I love doing these
short solo episodes for you, and I hope that you
enjoy them and that they serve you. Until next time,
take care and keep growing.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Thank you for joining us this week on Minutes on Growth.
If you enjoyed today's episode, and make sure you never
miss a show by clicking the subscribe button now.
You're listening to The Minutes on Growth podcast, the show
that brings you mindfully curated insights into relationships, spirituality, personal development,
and everything in between with your hosts Tenas, the same
for Hi so Frian's at Tanasa, the same for and
Welcome back to another short solo episode of The Minutes
(00:24):
Sound Growth Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Today, I'm want to talk about something that can completely
shift the way you experience life, and it's the power
of storytelling and meaning making. Because here's the truth, it's
not always the problem that's the problem. It's the story
that we have created about the problem that holds us back.
(00:49):
So everything we experience is filtered through the meaning we
assign to it, and that meaning is shaped by our past,
our conditioning, and our conscious beliefs. So in this episode,
we're going to explore how narrative therapy helps us separate
ourselves from our problems. We're going to understand the power
(01:10):
of meaning making and how it shapes our reality. We're
going to learn how to identify the limiting stories we're
telling ourselves and discover practical tools to rewrite our inner
narrative in a way that feels empowering and expands us
So let's begin. We are all natural storytellers. So from
(01:35):
the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep,
we are constantly making meaning out of the events in
our lives. Bye, here's the question. Is the meaning we
assigned to things empowering us or limiting us? So let's
take an example. Imagine two people lose their job on
(01:55):
the same day. Person A might say I got fired.
This is proof that I'm not good enough, there's something
wrong with me, I'll never be successful, and I should
just settle for less. And person B says, I got fired.
This sucks, But this is the universe redirecting me towards
(02:17):
something better. This is an opportunity to realign with a
career that truly excites me. Same event to completely different meanings,
and because of those different meanings, these two people will
experience the same event in completely different ways. So person
(02:38):
A might spiral into self doubt, they might hesitate to
apply for new opportunities, and ultimately they're going to prove
through their actions that their limiting story is true. Person
B might take inspired action network and find a career
path even more aligned with our purpose. So this is
(03:02):
how powerful the meaning we assign to things is So
I want you to take a moment and ask yourself, like,
what meaning am I attaching to the things that happen
in my life? And am I framing my experiences in
a way that limits me or expands me? And So
I want to talk about narrative therapy and this idea
(03:24):
that you are not your story. So narrative therapy is
based on the idea that we are separate from our problems,
and it helps us realize that we have the power
to rewrite our experiences by changing the story we tell ourselves.
It's a very powerful therapeutic modality that I want to
share with you. So here's a simple way to start
(03:45):
practicing narrative therapy in your own life. Setone. We want
to externalize the problem. So instead of saying I'm an
anxious person, we're going to say I am experiencing anxiety,
but I am not anxiety in what I'm saying. I
am stuck. We say I am feeling stuck in this moment,
but I am capable of movement. I have the words
(04:10):
I am tattooed on my wrist as a reminder that
whatever we put next to it kind of gets embedded
and twary our identity, and I don't want my identity
to be I'm an anxious person because anxiety is just
an emotion that I am experiencing in my body, and
I want it to arise and subside. I want to
(04:31):
feel it. I want to create a vessel where it
flows through me but doesn't become me. And so when
we separate ourselves from the issue, we give ourselves the
power to change it. So stuck too, question the story?
Where did the story come from? Is this my belief
(04:54):
or was it conditioned into me by society, family or
past experiences? And then ask yourself, is this the only
possible story or is there another way to see this?
I love this prayer of just asking the universe help
(05:15):
me see this differently. The course in Miracles calls miracles
a shift in perception? Is there another way for me
to perceive this? Just ask the question from the universe
and just sit and allow yourself, allow that new vision,
that new perception to come to you. And then step
(05:39):
three is rewrite the meaning. What is a more empowering
meaning I can assign to the situation? And how can
I refrain this experience in a way that serves me.
I've mentioned this in previous episodes, but you know, sometimes
(06:00):
people ask me, like, how do you know for certain
that the universe has your back? And I'm like, no
one knows anything for certain, But would you rather live
in a world where the universe has your back or
the universe is abandoning you and there's no support system?
Which one feels safer to you? Which one feels more empowering,
more expansive. So let me share another real life example
(06:23):
with you. I once had a client who was struggling
with rejection at work. Anytime she wasn't chosen for a promotion,
she would tell herself that, like this always happens to me,
I'm not worthy, I'll never be enough. So she loved
the company, but she wanted a promotion in terms of
(06:43):
her position and an increase in pain. And whenever there
was like an opening for a position, she would apply
and she'd get rejected. And so she had built an
entire narrative around rejection, one that reinform this notion of
unworthiness and self doubt. And so we started to get
(07:05):
curious with it, and we broke it down, and as
cliche as it sounds, we started to reframe rejection as redirection.
So we started to work with a subconscious mind and
assign a new meaning to this rejection. So the previous
(07:26):
meaning was i'kno good enough, and the new meaning that
we started to embed into her subconscious mind was this
is not meant for me, and the right opportunity is
still on its way. And we continued to feed this
new belief to her mind and body, and you're going
to be shocked at what happened next. So the more
(07:49):
she started to accept this new narrative and this new truth,
different opportunities start to knock on her door. And then
one opportunity from another company showed up where it was
a similar position, but a significantly increase in pain, one
(08:13):
that she didn't even think honestly was possible for her.
Like when I would tell her, like, what's your goal income,
she would never say that number because she just thought,
you know, based on my experience in X, Y and Z,
it's never going to happen for me. And she had
this deep desire to like have her own place and
to move out of her parents' home. And guess what,
(08:36):
the bonus, her signing bonus was the right amount for
her to get the flat that she wanted. So being
rejected her you know, her previous employment really opened the
doors for her to be redirected to this new employment
where her pay was more. She got the bat the
(08:57):
bonus to get that apartment. And then here's where the
story gets interesting. While she was in the new company,
really the opportunities that she was seeing reinforced this new
narrative that I am worthy and that I am enough,
and so there's started to be an even deeper identity shift.
(09:22):
Fast forward a couple of months, her previous employer reached
out to her and said, we have another opening and
we want you. This is the position that you want it.
This is the title that you want it, so come back.
(09:43):
And she said, hmm, okay, it feels good that you
guys finally came around to giving me this title in
this position. But I can't go back to that pay.
And this is the pay I'm getting. You need to
match that. And I remember before she told them, you know,
(10:04):
you need to match that. In her mind it was like,
is it even possible because this pay in that company,
in that old company might not be possible. But she
now was operating from this place of I know I'm
worth it, I know him enough because she felt seen
(10:24):
in that company, she felt valued in that company, in
the new company, and with this identity shift, so much
more magic entered her life. Because her old employer turned
around and said, we won't match it, she was shooketh. Shooketh.
(10:45):
She went back to her previous employer and the company
that she loved, in a new position, with the new title,
with the same pay, and all she needed to do
was shift that narrative from rejection to redirection, from I'm
not worthy to I am worthy to I'll never be
enough to I am enough. The meaning that she gave rejection,
(11:09):
and that shift around that meaning, it created an identity
shift which brought around all the desires that she wanted.
So you can do this too, You can rewrite your story.
So let's get practical. How can we do that? Step one,
(11:30):
we become aware of the dominant story that we're telling ourself.
So what is the common theme in your inner dialogue?
If your life was a book, what would the title
of your story be? What would the title of the
different chapters be? What would this chapter be called? Is
(11:50):
the story limiting you? Or is it empowering you? Step
two find the origin of the story. Who taught you this?
Was this belief passed down to you by your parents,
by past experiences, by culture? And does this belief still
serve the person you are today? Step three, Create a
(12:13):
new empowering meaning. What is another way to look at
the situation? If your best friend had this experience, what
advice would you give them? And then what new belief
will allow you to feel more at peace and in alignment?
And then the last step, which is super super super important,
(12:35):
reinforce the new story through action. Your subconscious needs proof
that this new story is true, So start looking for
evidence that supports your new belief. I want you to
surround yourself with people, with books, and with experiences that
reinforce this new narrative. So so, friends, at the end
(12:59):
of the day, we are not just experiences of life.
We are storytellers of life. And the meaning we assign
to events shapes our emotions, our actions, and ultimately our
experience of our future. So today I invite you to
ask yourself, what story have I been telling myself about
(13:22):
who I am? What you meaning? Can I give to
my experiences that will empower me? And how can I
rewrite my narrative into one of growth, resilience, and self trust.
Because you are not your past, you are not your fears.
(13:46):
You are the author of your own story and you
can turn the page at any moment. Thank you so
much for being here. If this episode it with you,
let me know I'd love to hear the story that
you are rewriting. Also, don't forget to press the subscribe
(14:09):
button to leave us a comment. I love doing these
short solo episodes for you, and I hope that you
enjoy them and that they serve you. Until next time,
take care and keep growing.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Thank you for joining us this week on Minutes on Growth.
If you enjoyed today's episode, and make sure you never
miss a show by clicking the subscribe button now.
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