The Stories We Tell – And Why They Matter

Over the last few weeks, I’ve found myself slightly obsessed with the idea of neurostimulation.

Put simply: it’s our brain’s version of fake it till you make it — but grounded in neuroscience.

Here’s the thing most of us don’t realize: our brains aren’t great truth detectors. They don’t reliably distinguish between what’s real and what’s vividly imagined or consistently repeated. Instead, they take in the information they’re given and respond accordingly.

Which means the stories we tell ourselves — out loud, on paper, or quite vividly through our own imagination — matter far more than we give them credit for.

When we repeatedly “feed” our brains messages about who we are or who we’re becoming, we begin activating the same neural pathways associated with that reality. Over time, those pathways strengthen. The brain adapts. Behavior follows.

Hence my recent obsession.

For the better part of two weeks, I’ve been telling my brain a very specific story. More specifically:

"I am disciplined, creative, and thoughtful. I love how abundant my life is: in joy, kindness, creativity, opportunity, and generosity. I am grateful for the life that I'm living, the lessons I'm learning, and how much I'm growing along the journey. I love how courageous and authentic I am in everything that I am doing."

I’ve written about it.

I’ve spoken it out loud.

I’ve even sung about it in the shower – because sometimes you have to make it impossible for your brain not to listen.

And my brain did exactly what brains do.

In just two weeks of this consistent self-love-bombing, I feel more aligned with that story than I ever have before. I’m waking up motivated instead of depleted.

The doubts and fears that were shouting at full volume a short month ago have significantly softened; drowned out by a chorus of confidence, gratitude, and genuine excitement about what opportunities lie in what's to come.

It feels at times borderline magical.

And that’s the point.

The stories we tell ourselves aren’t just background noise. They are so much more than words or ideas – ways to poke fun or criticize ourselves for a laugh or to appear more humble.

They are powerful.

And they actively shape how we experience our lives: in what we notice, what we believe is possible, and how we respond when things get hard.

With a little intention — and a lot of repetition — we can begin to tell stories that support us instead of sabotage us. That align us to our best selves and create both the desire and consistent motivation to keep going.

So wherever you are right now, I’ll leave you with this:

• What story are you telling today?

• And which version of you is waiting to be unleashed in its telling?

You don’t have to get it perfect.

You just have to start telling a better story — and keep telling it long enough for your brain to do what it was wired to do.

You've got this.