by Hanna Perlberger
Today’s post is excerpted from Hanna’s book A Year of Sacred Moments: The Soul Seeker’s Guide to Inspired Living, blending Torah, ancient Jewish wisdom, positive psychology principles, and the insight of contemporary thought leaders.
“You don’t just have a story—you’re a story in the making and you never know what the next chapter’s going to be. That’s what makes it exciting.”
—Dan Millman
It’s said that human beings can live a few weeks without food, a few days without water, but only about 30 seconds without finding meaning in something. Creating stories is what we naturally do. Stories are not the problem. After all, we are hard-wired for story. It’s how we make sense of everyone and everything.
But we live in the stories we create. And so the challenge, therefore, is to create stories that work for us instead of against us, and to write the stories of our lives in ways that are empowering, strengths-based, and growth-oriented, instead of victim-based, dis-empowering and shame-based.
Coming into a State of Coherence
The first stories we tell about ourselves form what is referred to as “the narrative arc of our lives.” Aaron Antonovsky, one of the pioneers of medical sociology, was able to correlate the connection between having a strong sense of narrative coherence and greater happiness, health, resilience, and motivation to take positive action. Thus, coherence is not just a “nicety”; in fact, our very well-being depends on it. According to Antonovsky, three elements contribute to a strong sense of coherence:
1. Comprehensibility. I understand what has happened (or is going on in my life). My important life stories make sense to me.
2. Manageability. I can cope with what has happened (or is happening) in my life. It’s not easy, but I can summon the internal and external resources I need to manage my life.
3. Meaningfulness. I have grown or learned (or have the potential to) as a result of my experiences. The challenges I face are worth addressing.
“Vayigash” (Genesis 44:18–47:27) is a perfect example of what is possible when one is in a state of “coherence.” The story of Joseph and his brothers reaches its climax with one of the most dramatic moments in Biblical narrative. In reaction to Joseph’s feigned refusal to release Benjamin, Yehuda begs Joseph to take him in Benjamin’s stead, pleading that the loss of another son—this son—would kill his father, Jacob.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Joseph bursts out revealing his true identity, stating, “Ani Yosef,” “I am Joseph!” The brothers are in shock and terrified. Before them stands the complete refutation of their actions, against which they are utterly defenseless. As the Viceroy of Egypt, Joseph could have them imprisoned or worse, but miraculously, he bears the brothers no ill will. Not only is Joseph not punitive, but he even comforts his brothers, stripping them of any power or hold they thought they ever had over his fate.
The Bigger Picture
For underneath the surface drama of the story, and the intentions and motives of the brothers, lies an Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent God, who was orchestrating events to fulfill a Divine Plan. This belief in the bigger picture and deeper meaning of otherwise meaningless and tragic events gave Joseph a sense of purpose, helping him to manage and cope with his ordeals and remain spiritually, emotionally, and mentally intact. How else could he emerge from 12 years in an Egyptian prison with all of his wits about him, so as to be promoted to Viceroy to Egypt on the spot!
Whether it was at that very moment, or later, when he finally saw his brothers, his story “made sense,” became “comprehensible,” and Joseph was able to narrate it in a way that was empowering. Rather than be a victim, and consumed with hatred and bitterness, Joseph was filled with strength and grace.
Telling a New Story
In her book, Wired for Story, Lisa Cron explains how a plot is what happens, whereas the real story is how the protagonist changes. Understandably, the plot hooks us, but the purpose of the story is much deeper than the mere telling of events. Looking below the storyline of “what happened” to get at “what the story was about,” affords us a new perspective. When we look at the painful stories of our past and see how we nevertheless coped and managed, and how we were able to transmute suffering into growth, then the stories of our lives can take on new meanings, meanings that can even make some overall sense. This awareness of coherence then gives us the strength and resilience to deal with the struggles and challenges of our present.
And that fills us with well-being, optimism, and possibility. Our challenge is to stop telling stories that keep us stuck in blame. Like Joseph, we can compose the narratives of our past in ways that are empowering, and in so doing, we can use our past to inspire our present and to inform a better future. When we can look back at the events of our past and embrace them as for being the perfect training ground for who are today, then, we can begin to be the authors of our own lives.
Internalize & Actualize: Three Exercises
1. We all have stories we create that we think of as objective truth. Think of a time when someone wronged you, and you felt betrayed. Now, retell that story to yourself but exonerate that person. Say or write it in a way where the person was not trying to hurt you and was unaware that they were doing so. Make this person innocent in your new version. Then respond to the following: How does this new story make you feel? How do you now feel about this person?
2. Write down three situations where you feel you successfully overcame a difficulty. What qualities came out of you in those situations that helped you be successful (i.e., patience, empathy, self-awareness, etc.)?
3. Write down a challenge you are facing right now. Think about the qualities you just listed and you know you are capable of tapping into. Which of these will help you through your current challenge? How can you implement it/them to work through what you are dealing with?
Hanna Perlberger, a graduate of CiPP, is an author, attorney, spiritual teacher, and coach. She speaks to people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning. and spiritual engagement. Hanna’s newly released book, “A Year of Sacred Moments: The Soul Seeker’s Guide to Inspired Living,” guides readers through an interactive journey of ancient Jewish wisdom and positive psychology. For more information or to subscribe to her weekly blog, please visit ayearofsacredmoments.com
