Key points

Our past gains meaning through the stories we choose to tell ourselves.

Memories are not fixed; they can be reshaped and reconsolidated.

Reframing trauma can transform victimhood into resilience.

Changing stories frees us to pursue purpose and joy in the present.

I believe in stories. They are the way we create meaning. Meaning is how we cognitively understand and reconcile our past. Part of being a happy person is learning how to tell yourself heroic stories about your own history. You may have experienced severe trauma, lost a loved one, or lived through desperate circumstances.

These are the facts of your situation. Yet meaning doesn’t come from facts. It stems from the stories we tell ourselves about those facts. You might have lost a limb in a car accident, but only y

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