Slingshot Weekly (12/24/25) | The Story You Tell Yourself Isn’t Finished Yet

There is a story you tell yourself every single day.

It runs quietly in the background, often unnoticed, shaping your confidence, your decisions, and the way you imagine your future. Sometimes that story is encouraging. Other times, it is limiting and heavy. It sounds like familiar thoughts you barely question anymore.

• “I’m behind.”
• “I should have this figured out by now.”
• “That path isn’t for someone like me.”

These stories feel personal, but they are far more common than we realize. Almost everyone carries some version of them. The issue is not that these thoughts exist. The issue is when we start treating them as facts instead of chapters. Here is the truth we do not talk about enough. Your story is still being written.

Many people believe they missed their moment or made the wrong choice early on. They look at where they are now and assume it defines where they are headed. But life does not move in straight lines. Growth does not follow a fixed timeline. Clarity rarely shows up before action. Most people are learning as they go, even if it looks polished from the outside.

When we keep our stories to ourselves, they tend to grow heavier. Silence amplifies self doubt. We assume everyone else is moving faster, doing better, or feeling more certain. We compare our behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel and quietly decide that we are the problem. But the moment you share your story, even a small piece of it, something powerful shifts.

You realize you are not alone. You hear your own thoughts echoed in someone else’s words. You begin to see that uncertainty, fear, and doubt are not signs of failure. They are signs of being human.

Sharing your story does not mean you have all the answers. It does not mean you have made it or arrived at some final destination. It simply means you are willing to be honest about where you are right now. And honesty has a way of lightening the load. When someone hears your story, it gives them permission to tell the truth about theirs. When you listen to someone else’s journey, you are reminded that everyone is carrying something unseen. That shared understanding creates connection. Connection builds courage. Courage opens the door to clarity.

Clarity does not come from pretending you have everything figured out. It comes from naming what you are wrestling with and choosing to keep moving anyway. It comes from rewriting the story you tell yourself, not all at once, but line by line.

Pay attention to the story playing in your head. Ask yourself where it came from and whether it still serves you. You are not behind. You are not late. You are not disqualified.

Reflection Questions of the Week

• What story have I been telling myself lately, and how does it influence the way I show up each day?

• Who could I share a small, honest part of my story with this week to lighten the weight I am carrying?

• If my story is still being written, what belief am I ready to rewrite moving forward?