The world is not made up of molecules and atoms…rather the world is made up of stories.”
– Albert Einstein

As an amateur storyteller of ancient wisdom stories, I love the way stories can connect us to ourselves (or to the parts of ourselves that we forgot) and to each other. We are our stories.

My favorite storyteller is Michael Meade. He says that myths, fables and fairy tales are stories that are not true, but that lead to truths about humankind. Joseph Campbell referred to Homer’s The Odyssey as a classic myth of the "hero’s journey”that has relevance to everyone’s journey through life. Similar journey myths can also be found in the legend of King Arthur, Huckleberry Finn, Star Wars, and The Matrix, as well as other epic tales.

In my journal entry entitled "Meaning, Happiness and Your Financial Well-Being,” I wrote about meaning and purpose in life, and the importance of aligning our resources (financial, energy, time, etc.) with our values as an important precursor to financial independence.

Not surprisingly, our meaning is bound up in the story we are conveying to others and telling to ourselves. Sometimes the telling comes out in bits and pieces through simple face to face conversations, or email, or phone conversations as we are dashing from place to place.

What story are you telling to others….and more importantly, to yourself? What kinds of truths do they lead to?

If our financial well being relies upon our knowing our purpose, then it is imperative that we acknowledge that we are the authors of our own lives, and that the stories we tell affect us and others deeply. I believe that by listening to each other’s stories, we can find the better story in our own lives.