Follow me on instagram or book a free consultation call on my website!https://www.instagram.com/theantioptimisttherapist/https://theantioptimisttherapist.com/You can’t change your past, but you can change what it means.In this episode, I explore how the stories we carry shape our lives—and how they can be rewritten. From Anthony Ray Hinton’s 30 years on death row, to Lauren Hillenbrand writing Unbroken from her sickbed, to the quiet redemption I’ve seen in my own clients—this is about loosening your grip on the stories that hold you hostage.ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) doesn’t ask you to erase your past. It invites you to carry it differently. To say, “This happened, it matters, and I still get to choose what kind of person I want to be now.”Your pain may be a chapter, but it’s not the narrator. You’re still the author.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction01:10 – Today’s theme: you can’t change your past, but you can change what it means02:40 – The stories we tell ourselves (and mistake for facts)04:15 – Diffusion: stepping back from harmful stories05:00 – Example: Anthony Ray Hinton and the power of forgiveness07:20 – Example: Lauren Hillenbrand writing through chronic illness09:40 – Stories of clients: shame vs. responsibility12:30 – My own experiences of rewriting meaning14:15 – What ACT gets right about pain and authorship16:10 – Reflection: which stories are worth rewriting?18:00 – Final thoughts: pain is a chapter, not the narrator19:15 – Closing
