Being an author as well as a coach and spiritual director, I named my business "The New Story" to suggest this idea of transformation-as-personal-creation—and use that phrase as a metaphor for the step-by-step process of actively creating our life’s dreams.

Speaker/author Stephen Covey made a useful distinction when he urged people to live out of their imaginations instead of their history, and that’s what living the New Story is all about: imagining the greatest vision we have for ourselves and for our world, and then developing ways to actually create that.

In a nutshell, living one’s New Story is about, as Gandhi expressed it, being the change we want to see in the world—and that kind of transformation can begin immediately.

Here are five ways to start creating your New Story today:

1. Pay attention to your thoughts. Ancient spiritual wisdom counsels us that "Whatever is true, whatever is noble…whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, think about such things"—and the results of doing this are powerful indeed. What we focus on does expand—so to create a life of greater meaning, keep focusing on meaningful, positive things

2. Pay attention to your words, both the conversations you have with others and those you have with yourself. We create our worlds with our words; words are powerful instruments indeed. Becoming more mindful of the words we use, consciously choosing words that uplift and encourage, can have a noticeable effect on us energetically and experientially—and on those around us.

3. Notice what kind of messages and images you surround yourself with. It’s been said that who we will be five years from now has a lot to do with what books we read, shows we watch, and friends we have. Take a minute to think about that: Are the materials you’re feeding your brain, and the experiences you’re having with friends and colleagues, creating a positive future for you

4. Notice what inspires you. Becoming more aware of the things that light up your heart and mind will give you great clues as to the ingredients of your New Story. Do you love to spend time in nature? Are you awed by the story of Lance Armstrong? Start to keep a list of the experiences and people you find inspiring, and use it as a guidepost of elements to integrate and/or embody in your own life

5. Let yourself dream. Ask yourself, "If I had all the money in the world, what would I do with my time?" This can be an interesting exercise to start tracking where your heart’s desire truly lies; one’s New Story is always fueled by passion, not resignation. What is the grandest, most compelling dream you can imagine for your life? Write it down—and watch it begin pulling you toward the life you most want to create.

Taking these first steps is a great beginning to a wonderful story—your New Story. And when enough of us live our New Stories individually, collectively we can create a New Story for our world. In the still-inspiring words of Goethe, "Whatever you can do, or dream, you can begin. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."

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Contributed by Maggie Oman Shannon. All rights reserved. Maggie is an Ivy Sea Collaborator, a life-purpose and creativity coach, spiritual director, and author. Learn more about Maggie at her Ivy Sea bio page.

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