Sometimes we feel that life is just “happening to” us, nothing can be done about it, the circumstances are unfair. If you are working several years in the same company, you have experience and knowledge, you meet all the KPIs every year, so it is obvious that you deserve promotion, salary increase, and other bonuses at this higher grade. But your manager probably doesn’t think so. And you might start blaming him for that.

This scenario is an example of “victim” story. It also feels like your passion is hidden somewhere, or your values are overstepped.

And if you decide to put yourself out of that “victim” mindset by promising that you will do it anyway, you will get that promotion, you will overcome that challenge and will prove to yourself and to everyone in the company that you really deserve that promotion.

That will be your “overcoming” story, and for sure there are a lot of things to celebrate. In our society we learn that victim stories are “bad” and overcoming stories are “good”. Especially the Western world is famous in building success, achievements, fame around that. And even in those good overcoming stories we are not looking for something much greater. It could happen that “overcoming” challenge disappears - you finally get that promotion in career. And you could feel lost as there is nothing to prove anymore. Actually maybe that was not YOUR career ladder that you were climbing so hard all these years...

Yesterday I attended a very insightful workshop “Your Role in the Global Great Story” that was led by Leonid Frolov, my supervisor in CTI Certification program, together with Jeanine Krull Mancusi and Michelle Goss. The event was organized by out Dutch Co-Active Community. And the main objective was to discuss our role as Coaches when we hear those stories from our clients. But I think this information is worth sharing with everyone.

Because there is another story that our soul is calling for - Your Great Story, and YOU are authoring it. By telling that great story we become more true and authentic selves, and we avoid being trapped in victim or overcoming story.

I have realized that I am trapped in my overcoming story, big time! And you? What is your story? What could be Your Great Story to tell?
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