Sis, if you want better for yourself, you have to be willing to take control of your own narrative. If you don’t take control of your own narrative you’ll be left with the crumbs of what this society and others are willing to let you have, which I assure you isn’t much. When you leave your future in others’ hands, you won’t receive the best life has to offer. So, here are a few steps on how you can begin to take control of your own narrative:
What’s Your Narrative?
In order to take control of your own narrative, you first have to have one. What is your narrative? What do you want? Is the narrative you’re pursing really your narrative or have you adopted someone else’s? Take time to know and understand what your narrative is. If you don’t know what your narrative is, you’ll end up pursuing one furnished to you from another source.
Assess Your Situation
Now that you’re clear on your narrative, assess your situation. Specifically, what do you need to fulfill your narrative? What do you need to make your narrative a reality? What do you already have that will help you control your narrative? Once you’ve properly assessed your situation you can begin to devise a plan to get you where you want to be.
Put Your Guard Up (Watch What You’re Listening To)
Let’s keep it a buck – being an independent thinker and choosing to charter your own course, in this society, is frowned upon. Folks who don’t follow the crowd are seen as problematic. Also, this society has very specific narratives assigned for specific people. When your narrative opposes society’s assigned narrative for you, you’re going to find you’ll face a lot of negativity, opposition and push back. You do know that society already had a narrative assigned to you from birth, right? When you refuse to shape your narrative to fit someone else’s gaze or expectations, know that you’ll probably face some criticism, negativity and discouragement. Know this and be prepared for it. You have to guard yourself against those who would attack your confidence and present an obstacle to your plan.
Now, when I say put your guard up, I’m not talking about guarding yourself against sound, constructive criticism. If someone has a valid criticism, that if implemented, would help you take control of narrative, listen to it. Never dismiss wise counsel that will help you take control of your narrative.
You Have to Do the Work
Finally, the most important part of taking control of your own narrative is to do the work. If you don’t do the work to take control of your narrative, it won’t happen. Period. No one is going to make it happen for you. Knowing your narrative, assessing your situation, and putting your guard up is all fine and well, but unless you do the work to bring it to pass, the rest of it doesn’t even matter.
Case Study
What I try to weave into every post is real world experience. Like I’ve said a number of times before, I don’t write about what I don’t know. I write from my own lived experience. When I was ten years old I knew what I wanted for my life. I was keenly aware of what American society had for Black women without an education. As a little girl growing up in the 80s, I noticed a common theme about the Black women portrayed in media – Gimme a Break!, Good Times, What’s Happening!!, etc. – unless I took control of my own narrative and got an education, domestic work was the career path America had prepared for me.
I knew two things: I wanted to be an attorney and I wanted to attend the University of Michigan. As a child whose parents only graduated from high school, were my aspirations a reach? Hell yeah. Was I still willing to take control of my own narrative? Fa sho. With God’s help, I was able to accomplish both. Don’t let anybody or anything stop you from taking control of your own narrative. I’m no better than you – if I can do it, so can you.
What do you think about taking control of your own narrative? Drop a comment below. If you found this post helpful please share.
0 Comments