“Identify what in your life is not working and rewrite it so it works.”
-Russell Redenbaugh 
Shift the Narrative: A Blind Man’s Vision for Rewriting the Stories that Limit Us.

One of the best parts of my job as a ghostwriter and producer of books, is the constant flow of lessons and mentorship from my authors. Russell Redenbaugh is certainly no exception, with his life shifting words of wisdom about how to rewrite your past, present, and future stories to get more of what you want in all areas of your life.

As authors we are all too familiar with editing. It’s what turns a promising idea into a well-written final product. We know how to edit for structure, clarity, and the bevvy of other elements that make sense of the people and situations in our stories. Even if the story is of our own life, like in a memoir, our editing eye scans line by line, moving things around, trimming the fat, and adding connective tissue until everything finally makes sense.

Why not apply these skills to “editing” the stories we’re telling ourselves about our lives, past, present, and future?

Look especially at the imperfections of your current life. Imagine a “future you,” sitting down to write about something in your life now that is not working. Aiming for “20/20 hindsight” you’re comparing and contrasting how you felt about the situation at the time versus what you later figured out about it; the lessons you learned and perspective you gained.

As the editor of your life NOW – what might those lessons be? How can you look at the current imperfections in your life and edit how you see them?

You may now be thinking – “Well these are the facts of the situation and you can’t edit facts.”

True. But what about aspects of the situation that are your point of view about those facts? How can your edit your point of view about what’s currently happening in your life story?

Look at anything imperfect in your life and ask:

1. How can this scene ultimately turn into a blessing rather than a curse?
2. What action that is within my control, can I take to better this situation, even by one degree?
3. How can I edit this so I’m the hero rather than the victim of my story?

How can you be the author AND editor of your real life story, even as it unfolds?