Episode 2: Problem Stories

In this episode we meet Kerri who generously shares the story of a time in her life when a problem story became overwhelmingly significant. Problem stories are narratives that dominate our self-perception and worldview. They can cause us to focus predominantly on the issues, difficulties, and negative experiences associated with the problem. These stories can significantly impact our mental health and well-being and can become so pervasive that they overshadow any positive experiences or attributes we may have, leading to a skewed and often negative self-perception. When problems dominate our personal narrative, we may see ourselves primarily in terms of our difficulties and failures. This can lead to the internalisation of problems, where we view our problems as intrinsic to who we are rather than as external challenges that can be addressed and overcome. These sorts of narratives can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies, where the expectation of negative outcomes influences our behaviour in ways that bring about those outcomes. The problem story can make it difficult for us to see alternative ways of understanding our experiences and the potential solutions to our problems. This limited perspective can lead to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, as we can start to believe that our problems are insurmountable and that we lack the capacity for change. One of the beautiful aspects to Kerri’s story is the way you hear how she overcame the problems and the actions she took to understand her experience and to face into the changes she needed to make. The profound impact Kerri’s problem story had on her life and the memories of unworthiness it evoked needed to be faced and counteracted with alternative narratives. You will hear first-hand how Kerri had to relearn how to form an identity and how the signature story she now holds is one of fearlessness about potential future problems. She has rediscovered a river of confidence and internal strengths that she is able to access in the face of new and future challenges that life may bring to her. She now sees herself as a gentler, kinder version of her old self focused on intrinsic motivations where she can challenge herself to keep growing and learning. As Kerri says so eloquently, she has discovered that the secret weapon of vulnerability is authenticity. Please enjoy this very authentic and fascinating account of a problem story.