The Danger of a False Story

A few years ago I went to Ibadan – the city with plenty brown roofs, lol

I had to facilitate a training for a bank. Now something ‘interesting’ happened to me whilst teaching – I felt like using the restroom; Number 1(ask your neighbour for the meaning) to be precise, lol. 🙈

I needed to go there without making it obvious so I was ingenious enough to quickly get to a part of my slides where I had to give the participants an exercise. (smart trainer 😉)

Upon getting to the lavatory, I was not sure which was for guys as there were no typical symbols of a human frame with/without a skirt on the doors. .

However, as I peeped into the room on the left, I saw a guy in it but my eyes could not help but notice the urinals in the room to my right.

I was confused. Are there urinals in the ladies or is a guy in the ladies? So I proceeded to ask him a ‘dumb question, ‘which is the gents?’ (hoping it would jolt him back to reality). And then the gentleman responded ‘I just used anyone.’ .

I went right. Next thing, he came out & his next words left me suspended, ‘This one (pointing to the ladies) is actually BETTER’ he said with a smirk; feeling ‘justified’ for his action.

My concern was not the recklessness of the excuse but that he BELIEVED his STORY.

As I tried to drag myself back from my perplexion, I realised that alot of us may just be like this gentleman. We may have unconsciously CREATED false STORIES which we have SOLD to ourselves.

‘My kind of person does not like to talk’ – STORY! You were embarrassed before a crowd & you SOLD yourself this STORY. – TRUTH!

‘Business is not for people like me’ – STORY!
You lost money because you violated a principle in business and you SOLD yourself this STORY – TRUTH

The STORY is that COPING mechanism. It served you THEN to PROTECT you but NOW it SERVES to RESTRICT you.

The SHELTER has become a CAGE.

What stories have you sold to yourself?

You cannot BE all you want to BE by REMAINING in BUBBLE.

You cannot EXPAND in CONFINEMENT.