From Refugee to Pop Star and Beyond

How hardships, obstacles and tragedies can fuel a happy life

“Beware the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world.” — Ben Okri

The opposite of living in past trauma is reinterpreting our stories into something life giving. Our secret stories, the ones beneath the waters of consciousness - they have the power to keep us unfulfilled, unhappy and defeated and the power to take us places beyond our imagination.

How often do you think of your story, really unpack it? When someone joins my coaching program Xponential Life, this is literally step one, a crucial and valuable step.

The trick it so structure in a way to recognize the treasure right there in front of you. The other trick is to tell the story to someone who can recognize the treasure and help mine it.

I recorded this version of my story some time ago. I did it to share my story with my audience, but also as an exercise in mining for treausre. What tends to emerge is new insights, wonder, gratitude and vision for the future.

Ben Okri is right. Our stories alter our worlds, and because they do, we better learn to tell our stories well.

Perhaps my story will inspire you tell your story one more time. I know it’s a good one.