REWRITING THE PAST TO BUILD THE FUTURE
The way we interpret the events of our lives not only defines who we are but also guides our choices and shapes our ambitions. We are constantly rewriting our story, trying to make sense of past experiences. When we look at our personal experiences, we realize that we are always recounting stories, constantly trying to make sense of what we’ve lived. These stories not only define our view of ourselves but also guide our actions and reactions in the face of adversity. This is where the power of reinterpretation comes in — the ability to recount our experiences in a way that transforms them into springboards for our growth, rather than anchors that hold us back.
This concept extends to the professional world, where leaders and teams who master narrative have the power to turn failures into opportunities. Leaders and teams who harness the power of narrative are more capable of transforming failures into learning opportunities and inspiring others to do the same. In a corporate setting, a shared narrative can be the element that unites a team around a common purpose, creating a culture of resilience and innovation. Leaders who know how to communicate a clear and cohesive vision — not just about what has happened, but about what can be — have the power to inspire their teams to overcome obstacles and achieve goals that once seemed unattainable.
However, in the corporate world, narratives also have the power to limit. Often, organizations construct collective stories that inadvertently restrict the capacity for innovation and adaptation. When a mistake or failure is definitively labeled, the organizational culture can be marked by a fixed and defeatist mindset about “failure.” In contrast, companies that encourage rewriting their stories, transforming failures into lessons and challenges into opportunities, cultivate environments of continuous learning and creativity. The transformation of narratives within organizations can therefore be the catalyst for a more flexible, innovative, and collaborative organizational culture.
On a deeper level, it is precisely this reinterpretation that gives meaning to our lives. We are not merely beings who experience events; we are, as psychologist Jerome Bruner would say, narrative beings, constantly reconstructing the meaning of what happens to us. Every story we tell about ourselves forms the foundation for our beliefs, our fears, our hopes, and, most importantly, our actions. The way we choose to view our journey, therefore, can be the determining factor in our growth, both personally and professionally.
But what happens when, instead of following the script that has always been given to us, we decide to rewrite our own story? How can this practice of reinterpretation be applied not only in our personal lives but also in our roles in the professional and organizational world?
How Our Stories Define Who We Are
Bruner argues that stories are the fundamental units of human experience. As narrative creatures, we are constantly immersed in stories that we create ourselves to make sense of our lives. These narratives are not mere explanations of what happened; they are powerful tools for forming identity. They don’t just describe past events but shape our beliefs, desires, and ultimately, who we become.
Modern psychology and neuroscience show us that our brain is a processor of stories. We don’t experience the world objectively; everything is part of a continuous construction in which our brain edits and organizes events to create a sense of cohesion and continuity. As Daniel J. Siegel, a neuroscientist specializing in interpersonal neurobiology, points out, the way we construct and tell our stories is essential for our mental health and our ability to interact with others in meaningful ways.
Each of us is, essentially, a storyteller. From birth, we collect and store fragments of experiences, which over time transform into personal narratives. These stories have a profound impact because they don’t just record what happened but also explain why and how it affects us. The way we choose to narrate these experiences determines how we see ourselves and relate to the world around us.
For example, a person who faces failure may choose to tell the story of that mistake as a life lesson and a moment of growth, or they may view it as proof of their limitations. This narrative choice is a decisive factor in our ability to learn, grow, and overcome life’s challenges.
The power of narratives extends beyond individual psychology, reverberating in the way we interact with others and make decisions. Our stories influence the way we set goals, face difficulties, and communicate. Behavioral psychology reveals that the narrative we create about ourselves significantly impacts our mental and emotional health. When our stories are aligned with our values and make sense, we can better cope with stress, anxiety, and daily challenges.
Thus, I hope you understand that narratives can be both constructive and limiting. When the story we tell about ourselves is marked by a negative or deterministic view, it can reinforce a fixed mindset, where we believe we cannot change or grow. For example, someone who sees themselves as “always being defeated by fate” will hardly find the strength to break free from this cycle. The good news, however, is that we are the authors of our own stories. By challenging limiting narratives and rewriting the versions that imprison us, we have the ability to transform our reality and create a new trajectory, more aligned with our true potential.
This power to rewrite our stories, especially the most painful ones, is a powerful tool for self-transformation. The ability to do this is not just a matter of perspective but of practice. Psychotherapist George Kelly, with his reframing theory, suggests that by changing the way we perceive our past events, we can alter how we feel and act in the present. This practice of rewriting our personal narrative gives us the freedom to create new meanings for events, allowing us not to be prisoners of the past, but active agents in building the future.
I’ll share with you a true story of Adriane, a professional who, like many others, faced difficulties in her journey and had to redefine her own narrative to achieve the success she now clearly enjoys: Adriane began her career while still a student in engineering. Early on, she was assigned the role of project manager, and her lack of experience led her career to be marked by a series of failures. During her first years, she struggled with leading teams and delivering results on time. When Adriane came to me, she wanted to go through a career coaching process, as she was determined to change completely to a different area. Had she continued to tell the story of her career in such a negative way, she could have seen herself as an incapable leader, constantly defeated by circumstances, and changing careers wouldn’t have freed her from her limiting beliefs or the deep imposter syndrome she lived with. However, during the process, she chose a different approach: she rewrote her story.
By reflecting on each failure, Adriane began to realize that her experiences were not a mark of her incompetence but opportunities to improve her skills. Instead of seeing each mistake as a defeat, she began to view them as lessons in leadership and management. This change in narrative not only transformed her perception of herself but also the way she approached challenges in her professional life. Over time, and through the daily practice of what was explored in the sessions, she became a more resilient leader, capable of motivating her team to learn from mistakes, promoting a collaborative culture of growth and innovation.
As a result, her team began to deliver projects more efficiently and cohesively. Adriane’s transformation was not only visible in her own trajectory but also had a direct impact on the team’s results, which started to stand out for innovation and a more open approach to continuous learning. Adriane’s reinterpretation of her narrative not only shaped her success but also contributed to the creation of a stronger, more motivated, and collaborative organizational environment. By recognizing that her failures were not markers of incompetence but stepping stones for learning, she not only transformed her vision of herself but also positively impacted her team’s dynamics, driving innovation and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
The Way We Tell Defines Who We Are
I hope it’s becoming clear that the way we tell our own story has a transformative power. Every time we share an account of our experiences, whether of success or failure, we are not just recounting facts but building a profound meaning about who we are. As Carl Jung said, “What is not transformed is transferred,” but this is only possible if we choose to tell our story in a way that allows us to grow. When we see a challenging event as an opportunity for strength, it becomes a tool for transformation. But if we view it as a prison, it can become an obstacle to our progress.
This also applies to leadership. Effective leaders are those who know how to tell an inspiring story capable of uniting and motivating the team. The ability to articulate a narrative that connects everyone to a common purpose is what truly strengthens a group. It is the shared story that creates cohesion, belonging, and makes everyone feel part of something greater.
In our personal lives, the narrative of our failures can also be the seed for our growth. When we see them as learning opportunities, these moments become springboards for a better future. But if we adopt a mindset of victimization or self-criticism, we may end up being limited by these stories.
The human mind, as powerful as it is, is not infallible. We are “unreliable narrators,” as Daniel Kahneman puts it. Human memory is not a faithful copy of events; it is influenced by our emotions, beliefs, and cognitive biases. Our perception of the past is often a distorted reconstruction based on our current view of the world. This bias can make us see certain moments very negatively or, conversely, exaggerate our achievements.
These distortions can become limiting when we turn these distorted perceptions into our absolute truth. Often, the barriers to our growth are not external but internal, based on a skewed view of our own failures or successes. Recognizing that we are, in many cases, unreliable narrators allows us to challenge these stories and rewrite them in a way that is truer and aligned with our real values and potential.
The Path to Growth
The power to rewrite our stories is the key to transformation. This process doesn’t just involve changing facts or words, but reinterpreting the meanings attached to our experiences. Every failure can be seen as an opportunity to learn, and every challenge as a turning point for growth. By rewriting our personal story, we transform our victim narratives into stories of overcoming and resilience.
This process requires courage — the courage to look within and confront our limiting beliefs. Rewriting our story means challenging what has been imposed, creating new narratives, and taking control of our future. It moves us from a position of passive victims to active agents of our lives.
In the organizational world, this power of rewriting is equally potent. When an organization decides to reformulate its narrative, whether of past failures or victories, it creates space for innovation, continuous learning, and adaptation. Reinterpreting the collective narrative can be the key to profound organizational transformation, allowing the team to grow, renew itself, and prepare for future challenges.
Challenging Limiting Narratives
What happens when we challenge or rewrite the stories we’ve built about ourselves? Here, I want you to understand the concept of reframing, developed by psychotherapist and philosopher George Kelly, which suggests that by changing the way we interpret an event, we can transform our emotional response to it. By looking at a failure, for example, we can choose to see it not as a defeat, but as an opportunity for growth. This ability to reframe our perspective gives us power — the power not to be prisoners of a deterministic narrative but to rewrite our story in a way that reflects our intentions, values, and ambitions.
However, this rewriting process doesn’t happen automatically. It requires deep reflection, the willingness to question the “truths” we believe to be absolute, and, most importantly, the courage to imagine new endings. Reframing invites us to challenge the limitations we impose on ourselves or that have been imposed on us. But how does this apply to our everyday life, especially in a professional or organizational context?
George Kelly’s theory resonates with other psychological approaches that emphasize the importance of finding authenticity within ourselves. Donald Winnicott, for example, speaks about the idea of the “true self” versus the “false self.” The “true self” emerges when we set aside the narratives imposed by society or external expectations and begin to embrace our inner truth. By questioning the stories that were assigned to us — whether by our parents, teachers, or leaders — we have the opportunity to move toward a more authentic version of who we are. This is true freedom: not being limited by external impositions but constructing a narrative that is faithful to our essence.
The “False Self,” on the other hand, is a construction shaped by the expectations of others, a narrative we try to follow to please or fit into social norms. Often, the “false self” places us in a cycle of self-deception, making us believe that we need to be something we are not, just to be accepted or successful. It is at this moment that, by challenging these narratives, we have the opportunity to redirect our trajectory, not in search of external approval, but in alignment with our inner truth.
Think of someone who, after experiencing a personal or professional failure, finds themselves labeled as “a failure.” This limiting narrative can paralyze them. However, by rewriting this story and interpreting it as an opportunity for learning, adaptation, and the development of new inner strengths, that person begins to chart a path more aligned with their true identity, rather than trying to follow a script that isn’t theirs. The reinterpretation of failure, then, ceases to be a burden and becomes an open door to personal evolution.
How to Rewrite Your Story
Rewriting our story does not mean denying the past or the mistakes made. On the contrary, it involves recontextualizing those moments, giving them new meaning that empowers us for the future. This requires full acceptance of who we were, without being stuck on what we couldn’t control. By doing this, we can integrate the lessons of the past in a healthier and more propelling way.
In the organizational environment, this process is equally essential. Leaders who know how to rewrite their narratives — who face failures with resilience, who do not see themselves as victims of circumstances, but as learners — have the ability to inspire their teams. They show that failure is not an end, but a starting point for a new cycle of growth. By sharing this reinterpretation with employees, leaders can transform the organizational culture, making it more flexible, innovative, and focused on continuous learning.
This power to rewrite stories and challenge limiting narratives is a crucial movement for both mental health and organizational success. With each rewriting, we open doors to new horizons, more aligned with our goals and genuine desires, thus creating a more authentic and promising future.
Neuroscience and the Power to Transform Stories
Neuroscience reveals that the human brain is extremely adaptable and continues to reshape itself based on the experiences and perceptions we cultivate throughout life. This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, has profound implications for the way we tell our stories. According to neuroscientist Norman Doidge, in his book The Brain That Changes Itself, our ability to change is not limited to just a few areas of life but can be applied to any part of our personal story, from the way we perceive our failures to the way we experience our successes.
When we rewrite our stories, we activate new areas of the brain and establish new neural connections, which transforms our view of ourselves and the world around us. Instead of living imprisoned by past narratives, we have the possibility to create new interpretations, healthier and more aligned with our goals and aspirations.
For example, when we change the way we tell a negative experience — instead of seeing it as an irreparable failure, we can approach it as a learning opportunity — we are, in practice, creating new neural networks associated with resilience and growth. This not only alters the way we view life but also changes how we respond to future challenges.
This brain flexibility, in terms of learning and adaptation, is a key factor in continuous human development. Research shows that our ability to shape our internal narratives is not restricted to a phase of life but continues to be a process of building and rebuilding over time. By rewriting our stories, whether in a personal or professional context, we can enhance our ability to interact with others, learn from difficulties, and connect with a more authentic version of ourselves.
The impact of this transformation is also reflected in our self-image and the way we react to the outside world. The stories we choose to tell about ourselves not only shape our identity but also directly impact our mental and emotional health. By working with neuroplasticity, we can transform our brains to be more resilient, creative, and capable of facing life’s challenges with a positive and proactive attitude.
Leaders, by adopting this mindset of rewriting their stories and practicing neuroplasticity, not only reconstruct their own trajectories but also pave the way for their teams to reach new levels of innovation and performance. In this way, the process of personal transformation extends to the collective, creating a resilient, adaptable organizational culture that is ready for future challenges.
Cinema as a Metaphor for Building Stories
The analogy between cinema and the construction of our personal stories goes beyond being just a simple metaphor. It reveals a deep connection between how we live our lives and how cinematic narratives are created. The Catalan director Albert Serra, known for his work with improvisation and creative freedom, describes the filming process as a natural gestation. In it, the actors, often non-professionals, do not know what will happen next, but allow themselves to be guided by the scenes and moments that arise during filming. This method, called “uncontrolled narrative,” extraordinarily reflects the unpredictable and ever-changing flow of human life.
In life, we often find ourselves navigating through a narrative without having a clear vision of the ending, without total control over the events that emerge. As we move forward, signs and clues shape our perception of what is to come, but the plot is never fully written. Uncertainty and surprise are essential elements in the process of growth and transformation. We are the characters of our own stories, improvising as circumstances unfold, often not knowing where the narrative will take us.
This dynamic also resonates with the psychoanalytic view that our personal story is always being rewritten. The unconscious plays a central role in this process, bringing repressed or unrecognized aspects to the surface. Often, the experiences we try to avoid or forget are, in fact, the very ones that, when integrated consciously, offer us opportunities for healing and reconstruction. The process of looking at these moments and giving them new meaning is therapeutic, as it softens the emotional impact and empowers us to use them as levers for growth and change.
In cinema, each scene and character contributes to the development of the narrative, creating tensions, revealing secrets, and presenting new conflicts. Similarly, in our lives, moments of adversity or even periods of silence and uncertainty play a fundamental role in shaping our identity. We can look at these situations and understand that, while we cannot fully control the “script” of our life, we have the power to choose how we react and the story we decide to tell about our experiences.
The transformation of our personal narrative is like editing a movie. As we re-evaluate moments of pain, failure, or disillusionment, we have the chance to cut away what no longer serves us, reorganize past events, and build a story that is more aligned with our values and goals. This “editing” process is an act of re-signification, in which the raw material of our experiences transforms into something new, richer, and more coherent with who we want to be and what we wish to achieve.
Organizational Culture and the Power of Collective Narratives
Just as each individual has a unique personal story, an organization also develops its own collective narratives – shared stories that are passed on among members over time. These narratives have significant transformative power, shaping the organizational culture and influencing how people see themselves within the company, how the company positions itself in the market, and how it responds to external changes. As we have seen in personal stories, in the organizational context, narratives can either reinforce or limit growth.
Organizational culture is, therefore, built on these collective narratives, which, when well aligned with the company’s values and goals, act as engines of innovation and collaboration. However, if these stories are outdated or excessively rigid, they can create barriers to growth and adaptation, keeping the organization stuck in outdated models and disconnected from new market demands.
Let us imagine a company where the prevailing narrative is one of “success at any cost.” This story, passed down over time, creates a constant pressure environment where competitiveness is exacerbated, and collaboration is often sacrificed. Employees feel overwhelmed and may lose trust in teamwork, as the focus is on achieving individual results at all costs. In such a culture, mistakes are seen as personal failures, and calculated risks are avoided.
On the other hand, in companies where the dominant narrative is one of “failure as learning,” the culture becomes more receptive to risk and innovation. In these environments, mistakes are considered an essential part of the learning process, allowing employees to feel more comfortable taking risks, experimenting, and exploring new ideas without the constant fear of punishment. This approach can generate a more collaborative and creative culture, where everyone feels part of a collective journey toward success.
Narrative Strategy as a Competitive Differentiator
Companies that know how to use their stories strategically create future narratives that inspire and connect their teams to a common purpose. These companies not only talk about where they want to be but also about who they want to become – an inspiring vision that reflects the core values of the organization and its commitment to innovation, inclusion, and employee well-being. These narratives act as compasses, guiding the actions and decisions of the organization and aligning all team members around a common goal.
However, one of the biggest challenges for companies is the process of questioning and redefining their own stories. Often, organizations cling to old and conventional narratives that prevent them from seeing the world with fresh eyes. When this happens, companies run the risk of becoming stagnant, resistant to change, and disconnected from reality. In a constantly evolving corporate environment, this lack of flexibility can be fatal.
Co-authoring Narratives at the Organizational Level
Just as, on a personal level, we are the authors of our own stories, at the organizational level, teams and leadership have the power to become co-authors of the collective narrative. This co-authorship process is essential to ensure the organization evolves constantly, with a renewed purpose that aligns with current challenges and future opportunities. By inviting all team members to actively participate in the construction and rewriting of the organizational narrative, a sense of belonging and collaboration is created that strengthens internal bonds and increases commitment to results.
Through authentic and conscious narratives, organizations not only revisit the past but also build the future. Whether at the personal level, where narrative is a tool for self-knowledge and overcoming, or at the organizational level, where it guides how people connect, collaborate, and innovate, the stories we tell — and how we choose to tell them — have the power to transform reality.
Finally,
As we rethink the narratives we tell about our lives, we are not just rewriting the past. We are, in fact, rewriting the future. The way we choose to tell our story has the power to redefine our trajectory, not only in the present but also in the paths yet to come. This practice of narrative rewriting is a powerful tool, offering the opportunity to transform our experiences, our limitations, and, most importantly, expand our abilities to adapt, empathize, and grow.
As leaders, individuals, or teams, the act of retelling our story is not a simple exercise in reflection – it is a key to self-knowledge and self-transformation. Recognizing that the stories we tell about ourselves shape not only who we are but also who we can become, is a significant step toward continuous development. When we do this consciously and intentionally, we begin to realize that the future is not just waiting for us, but is something we can actively shape with our own hands.
If we release control over how we tell our stories, we open doors to live more authentically, more creatively, and above all, more freely. By letting go of limiting narratives that imprison us and embracing those that empower us, we can build a life more aligned with our true values, with what we truly want to achieve, and with the person we aspire to be.
Ultimately, we are all authors of the stories we tell about ourselves. The power of narrative lies in our ability to rewrite it, whether in the personal or organizational realm. By adopting a reinterpretative stance, we can transform failures into learning, challenges into opportunities, and thus create an environment of resilience and continuous growth. For leaders, this ability to articulate and shape narratives not only strengthens the team but also builds a more promising future, grounded in innovation and learning. In the organizational world, embracing this narrative transformation creates a culture of flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration, essential for long-term success.
What’s at stake is not just what happened, but what we choose to do with it. Rewriting our stories is the key to unlocking our unlimited potential.
Now, I invite you to pause for a moment and think: what story are you telling about your life? And, more importantly, what story do you want to start telling from now on? The power of transformation is in your hands – and the narrative you choose to share with yourself and with the world has the potential to shape your future in a profound and liberating way. Rewriting your story is more than just a possibility – it is an opportunity for reinvention.
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