I see the irony in writing a post about storytelling.
Several years ago there was a series of incidents that I can term “dramatic,” and that’s because I am now telling the story. At the time these events were transpiring, it was anything but. We were simply responding to what was happening as it occurred in the moment, and there was no experience of drama as such.
A crazy car accident (the police officer remarked, you should buy a lottery ticket), an expired drivers license, a house break-in and all jewelry lost… all in a week. Pretty dramatic, I know!
Most of us live largely in the world of stories. We share them endlessly, and we take them as truth. “A map is not the territory,” said Alfred Korzybski. Similarly, a story is a mere retelling, and it isn’t even an accurate one. Plus, we aren’t always storytellers with integrity. We edit and manipulate the storyline (sometimes, unknowingly), and we take it as truth, and we convince others, also.
Truth is accessed only in the present moment. Everything else is a story. When we are fully present, there is no space/time for story creation. The mind exists as a faithful ally, willing and able to serve fully.