Esther Perel Instagram – Stories shape our reality. They help us make sense of our pasts, what we’ve been through, who we were then, who we are now, and who we would like to be going forward. We use our stories as reminders, as protection and prevention. But while they fit the past, they don’t necessarily fit the present—and they may be blocking the future. Holding on to them with tenacity can make us so hypervigilant that we see the past everywhere. What we insist on, persists. It can stop us from seeing and trying new things and, yes, writing new stories. When I tell people to “write often and edit well,” what I mean is this: we are not in control of how life unfolds, but we have agency over how we structure and interpret it. And those new interpretations can help us get unstuck and give us the freedom to make adult choices that we couldn’t as children. New stories can liberate us from defeating narratives, predetermined thinking, and forgone conclusions. They create hope and possibilities for change. And that is why I lowered the four walls of my office for this podcast – it’s a public health campaign for modern relationships. It’s a podcast that reminds listeners that healthy relationships require us to write often and edit well and to be open to changing our stories. The more deeply you listen, the more you see yourself in the mirror. The more you hear real couples navigate real problems, the more you feel empowered to heal your own. So, what new stories are you ready to tell? Tune into Where Should We Begin? on Apple Podcasts. (Video credit: Apple Podcasts)