05/09/2025

The Story You Tell Yourself

Storytelling is the hidden bridge between meaning, purpose and happiness

Happiness isn’t a destination—it’s a synthesis. After years of working closely with people at the end of life, I’ve come to believe that happiness is not simply about feeling good, achieving success or avoiding pain. It’s a deep inner alignment between meaning and purpose. And there’s a surprising, uniquely human tool that connects these two vital elements: Storytelling.

The Hidden Architecture of Happiness

Think of happiness as a structure with two foundational pillars:

• Meaning is the story you tell yourself about your life—especially your struggles, traumas and turning points.
• Purpose is what you choose to do with that story—the forward-facing action that brings energy, clarity and joy.

But these two don’t automatically connect. Meaning lives in the past. Purpose is rooted in the present and future. To align them, we need a bridge. That bridge is storytelling.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Psychology Today.