Yesterday, a coach friend of mine, Tricia, guided me through an eye-opening exercise in mantra creation through storytelling. It only took 10 minutes but left a lasting impression.
Tricia asked me to tell her my life story in three minutes. Since I’m not very good at talking about myself, I rushed through it in under three minutes and felt a bit uncomfortable doing so. (Have you ever felt that way when sharing your story?) But since it was a coaching conversation, I pushed through.
Next, Tricia challenged me to share my life story in two minutes. This time it felt easier. I simply repeated what I had just said; two minutes seemed just right. By this point, I was getting comfortable sharing my story.
Then came the twist—Tricia asked me to tell my life story backward in three minutes. This was a lot harder! Starting from today and winding back through my experiences to my childhood was a challenge. The three minutes flew by as I strung together my story like a necklace of pearls, moving from one experience to the next.
I thought we were done after that, but Tricia had one last challenge: to summarize my life from birth to now in one minute. By this time, I knew my story well, but it was a fun challenge to condense it all. I finished just in time, including all the essential parts of my journey.
After the exercise, Tricia asked me, “How did it feel going through this exercise?” I realized that I often hesitate to share my story because I don’t want to take up others’ time. Are you doing the same—staying invisible because you don’t want to intrude on others?
That’s something I’m committing to change. I will share more freely about who I am and what I do.
Throughout the exercise, several themes emerged, marking the landmarks of my journey. Tricia’s final question was powerful: “If you were to assign a word, sentence, or mantra to what you’ve gained in this life, what would you say?”
The mantra that came to my mind is: “Everything will be alright. I am capable of doing whatever I want, and I am good enough.”
It was such a powerful experience—one that will shape my life moving forward. And it all happened in just 10 minutes!
Try Mantra Creation Through Storytelling Yourself
Now it’s your turn. Try this exercise with a friend and see what emerges for you. What will your new mantra be? What is one word or sentence you can hold onto during difficult times?
For me, it’s:
- Everything will be alright.
- I am capable of doing whatever I want.
- I am good enough.
Thank you, Tricia, for guiding me through this enlightening experience! 😊
