mariakoropecky by Maria Koropecky, Storytelling Coach & Author
Same Hill. Same Snow. Same day. Two totally different stories.
10:00 am
I only drive when it’s snowing unless I have to and today was one of those days. The drive itself wasn’t so bad, just a little slippery, but I couldn’t make it up the first hill into my complex. I got stuck halfway up and that was really scary.
Thankfully, two kind neighbours guided me as I pivoted my car on the slope and somehow by the grace of God, my driving experience and my lucky car, I managed to turn the car around, get back on the street and find a better parking space for now.
I’m so proud of myself for staying calm, for asking for and accepting help from strangers, and for getting myself out of a tight situation safely. Also, I didn’t use this as an excuse to drink (which is what I would have done in the past to comfort myself).
12:00 pm
After drinking a cup of Stress Relief tea with Ashwagandha, I decided to venture out to check on my car and get some groceries. On my way back home just as I was coming up to that same hill with 2 bags of groceries in hand, a pick-up truck with a pink stripe pulled up near the entrance to the complex and a young man jumped out with a blue plastic flying carpet sled.
He ran up to the top of the hill, passing the now slightly melted spot where my car was and said, “I’m just going to wait for you to get to the top of the hill and then I’ll slide down and I’m from Australia and this is my first proper snow day!”
“Welcome,” I said “And I know for a fact that this hill is slippery.”
With that, the young Australian who had never seen snow before woo’d down the hill and the woman who drove him in her truck cheered him on from the street.
Same Hill. Same Snow. Same day. Two totally different stories. Isn’t the Universe a clever teacher?
It’s all about perspective. You can look at something as scary or you can look at it as fun. Your choice.
And being able to reframe something and tell a new story is a life skill that not many people have. But that’s my specialty as a storytelling coach.
If you’re interested in rewriting and shifting your narrative in any area of your life, feel free to reach out.
And on that note, I’m going back outside again.
