Dr. Kalinda Rose Stevenson, The Bad Bible Detective
Storytelling, Bad Bible, And Freedom To Be Your True Self

Posts tagged "change life"

The Power Of Myth To Persuade You To Act Against Your Own Best Interests

Myths are a particularly powerful type of story. Although myth definition in common speech tends to treat the word “myth” as a synonym for an untrue story, the real meaning of myth is much deeper. Myths are the real stories we live by.

In his article, “Myth, Politics and the Erosion of The American Dream,” Paul Stoller gives this myth definition. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - March 12, 2011 at 10:20 am

Categories: Life Stories, What Is A Story   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Can You Change Your Life By Becoming Soul Sick?

What if the best way to change your life is to first become soul sick? Joe Versus The Volcano is a money story about soul sickness. Soul sickness is a condition brought on by selling out your authentic self for some gain. It can be money. It can be fame. It can be popularity. It can be security. Whatever it is, the price is too high.

Your Authentic Self Becomes Soul Sick

Above all, soul sickness is a state of awareness. You become soul sick when you become aware that you have compromised your true self—your authentic self—for something that is not worth the tradeoff. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - February 16, 2011 at 1:55 pm

Categories: Life Stories, Money Stories   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Change Your Life By Going In A Straight Line To Get What You Want

Change Your Life As You Are Going In Circles On Your Life Storywheel makes the point that your life story is lived on a storywheel, which contains multiple storywheels all going around in circles. It emphasizes the cycles of our lives, the ups and the downs, the ascents and the descents as part of every life story.

Success In Life Depends On Focus 

This post considers the importance of straight lines in any effort to accomplish specific goals. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - February 8, 2011 at 3:23 pm

Categories: Life Stories   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Change Your Life As You Are Going In Circles On Your Life Storywheel

You live your life going in circles on your own life story storywheel. James Bonnet, in Stealing Fire From The Gods, uses the model of the storywheel to locate every human story somewhere on the ongoing cycle of ascents and descents.

At the same time, good stories are also linear. The hero on a hero’s journey has one mission and must focus on that objective to accomplish that mission. This means that stories require single-minded focus in one direction. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - February 7, 2011 at 2:41 pm

Categories: Life Stories   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Be The Storyteller To Transform Your Life Story

A story is about problems. Up to this point, stories are set in motion by “flat-tire events.”  A flat-tire event is some unexpected problem that you cannot ignore. You have to do something to solve the problem.

Flat-Tire Events Begin Hero’s Journey Stories 

The “flat-tire event” is the foundation of hero journey stories. Something happens in the hero’s ordinary world that forces the hero on a journey to solve the problem. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - January 31, 2011 at 4:43 pm

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Is There Enough Amazement In Your Life Story?: Rainbows, Honeysuckles, And Bob

Rainbows In The Grass 

Years ago, while I was in graduate school in Berkeley, California, I left a class one day to walk to the library. Bob was with me. Bob was a student in the class, on a sabbatical year from working somewhere in Africa—I remember it as Namibia—to translate the Christian New Testament into a local dialect. We were friendly acquaintances but didn’t know each other very well.   Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - January 26, 2011 at 3:00 pm

Categories: Life Stories   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who Are You In Your Life Story?: Are You Your Only Hope For A Hero Or Are You Waiting For A Savior?

One of my favorite movies is Joe Vs The Volcano, a silly movie with bad reviews, which is also one of the profoundest movies I know. I’ll return to this story in other posts, but right now, I’ll quote only one line from the movie.

Who Will Be A Hero For The Waponis?

Joe has been sent to the island of Waponi Woo to save the people by jumping into a volcano on their behalf to save the island from destruction. It’s all about appeasing the volcano by offering up a willing human sacrifice to the volcano every hundred years. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - January 25, 2011 at 2:19 pm

Categories: Life Stories   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Do You Need Stories To Change Your Life?

Why do you need stories to change your life? Recently, someone asked me what I’m doing these days. I said that I’m writing about changing lives with stories. She responded with something like, “Oh, you mean reframing.” Actually, I don’t mean reframing. I really mean “stories.”

What Is Your Definition Of Story?

“Story” is an English word that has multiple meanings. Your definition of story is particularly significant in an era that is as cynical as ours, when the word “story” often refers to something you made up as an excuse for why you didn’t do something you promised to do. That is definitely not what I mean by “story.” Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - January 24, 2011 at 2:52 pm

Categories: Life Stories   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who Are You In Your Life Story?: Hero, Bully, Toady, Or Victim?

If you want to change your life, the place to begin is by figuring out who you are in your life story.

The Hero Saves His Family

In one of my favorite movies, A Christmas Story, young Ralphie wants an official “Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle” for Christmas.

We find out why Ralphie wants the air rifle in one of his fantasy sequences. Ralphie, dressed in full Hollywood cowboy regalia, saves his family from attack from the dreaded Black Bart and his gang. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - January 17, 2011 at 12:07 pm

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The Human Story In Your Flat-Tire Event

The most powerful metaphorical “flat-tire event” connects you with the essence of the human story.

Human stories evoke universal experiences that transcend any limitations of race, sex, age, geography, social status, and everything else that causes human beings to see themselves as somehow different and separate and better than other people. Read more…

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Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson - January 13, 2011 at 6:13 pm

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