We should have done so much more

Chapter 215

How we respond to our world depends on the stories we tell ourselves. - Jon Gordon

I have never been more aware of the stories that we tell ourselves, than I have since my mother passed away three years ago and started spending much more time with my dad. The stories he tells himself over and over are terrible, and his defensive posture toward the world is a direct result of those stories and have they shape the world view he carries around within himself.

This is not a world view I want to carry around within me! I do not want to tell myself those same stories. In Earl’s stories there is always someone taking advantage of him or the situation. In my stories I want to be the person giving the advantage to someone. In Earl’s stories someone is always hurting someone else. In my stories we are always caring for someone. In Earl’s stories people demanded far more from him than was appropriate. In my stories we talk about how super high demands can be an opportunity to be stronger and develop more, perhaps especially when the demands are unfairly high.

In Earl’s stories someone he is helping treats him poorly in return. In my stories we understand that we are rich people in a poor world and we help everyone we can, there will be no reciprocity. In Earl’s stories, he helps out a little bit and expect big results. In my stories we help out a tremendous amount, and expect no thanks or results to come back for us. In Earl stories he help fix a car here or there. In my story, we just gave the whole car away, multiple times.

In Earl’s stories, he should be admired for doing great things.

In my stories, we should have done so much more.