Inner Game

When you start stacking improvements in different facets of your life, the pace at which you ascend will surprise you.

But the truth is, most people never reach their fullest potential because their inner game is holding them back.

The stories they tell themselves, the narratives that shape their thoughts, aren’t aligned with the lives they claim they want to live.

It’s quite beautiful to observe how ferociously people will defend these stories, even when those stories are the very things keeping them stuck.

They’ve become so deeply attached to the narratives they’ve created that they start to confuse them with reality itself.

And when reality doesn’t fit neatly into the boxes their stories have built, they quietly disregard anything that doesn’t conform.

But here’s the thing you need to remember: mental models, worldviews, the stories we tell ourselves, even the words we use to describe our experiences, are entirely separate from the world itself.

The word 'dog' is not a dog; it’s just a guidepost, pointing us toward the concept of what a dog is.

If your guideposts — the stories you’re telling yourself — aren’t pointing you toward the top of the mountain, it’s time to adjust.

It’s time to rewrite the narrative, to let go of the stories that no longer serve you, and to align your inner game with the life you truly want.

Adjust your guideposts, realign your inner game, and you will surprise yourself with how quickly you ascend.

-Eric Otten