9/19(Tue.) How changing your story can change your life (host:Amy Chen)

[AMY CHEN]

It is my pleasure to be the host on 9/19.
On our journey through life, we often encounter certain individuals and situations that make us feel emotionally trapped, and feel out of control. Let’s discuss and share how to face these challenges, reclaiming our freedom. Regardless of the circumstances, there's always a way to overcome them. Let's embrace a brighter future!
Please watch the following video before coming to the meeting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_MQr4lHm0c



SESSION I

1.The TED TALK speaker said, “changing your stories can change your lives”.

Have you or your friends encountered such experiences? If so, please share them with your group. If not, do you hold a belief in the potential for such change?

2.The speaker is a therapist. She said: we are all unreliable narrators of our own lives (we tell our stories in a particular way)

Do you agree with this idea? If so, do you think this could lead to self-deception? Explain your perspective.

3.In this video, there is a cartoon showing that a prisoner is shaking the bars, desperately trying to get out. But on the right and the left, it’s open. The prisoner isn’t in jail.

Reflecting on this, have you felt similarly confined to your own emotional confines? If so, how did you navigate your way out? Or, on the contrary, do you continue to be stuck in such emotional jail?



SESSION II

1.If your friends tell you they feel imprisoned by their families, or by their jobs, or by their relationships, would you choose to be “an idiot compassion” or ” a delivering compassionate truth bombs”?

2.The speaker emphasized: revise your stories when you are trapped.

How does this approach differ from simply "changing your perspective(轉念)?

3. If you have the ability to shape your own narrative, what sort of story would you aspire to tell/change for yourself now?


*********************************************************************************************
Agenda:
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:45pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
7:45 ~ 8:00pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:00 ~ 8:05pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 5 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:05 ~ 8:40pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
8:40 ~ 8:55pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:55 ~ 9:00pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements

Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $80)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘


Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting at the conclusion of the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate your ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for two times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1500 lifetime membership fee, or NT$1000 for students

[Rock]

2.The speaker is a therapist. She said: we are all unreliable narrators of our own lives (we tell our stories in a particular way)

Yes, and this is so cool. It means that we can change our life stories in any way we like since it's already unreliable. But there is a problem, too. What if some people around you don't see it this way and insist that you should go for certain way, what do you do?

[miller]

Move to the top.

[Laura]

SESSION I

1.The TED TALK speaker said, “changing your stories can change your lives”.

=========≈=====

Today topic is an awesome one, let me figure out one old movie, ABOUT TIME ～

https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E7%9C ... 0%E5%A4%A9

The life can be affected by stories changing.

Seize the day !

[Iris Wu]

What if some people around you don't see it this way and insist that you should go for certain way, what do you do?

Here are a few points revealed by this question:
1) The narrative is from your own perspective; you are the narrator of this story about your life.
2) We hear the story from only one side, just as the speaker heard the story in the letter "To Dear Therapist."
3) The protagonist appears to feel resigned and frustrated due to conflicts or disagreements.
4) He believes that people around him should stop asking him to do things he doesn't want.
5) We can further conclude that instead of changing his own narrative, the protagonist actually wanted to change the stories of the people around him.

(Don't shoot the messenger. I was trying to play therapist... more of my personal opinions are coming soon. )

[Iris Wu]

What I see is that personal development theories or counseling therapies aren’t silver bullets that magically eliminate life’s hurdles. The real-world obstacles remain the same. The only thing these theories may help is changing our perspective.

Changing your perspective can be a game-changer. It may alter your mood, reshape your thoughts, and influence your next moves. It doesn’t guarantee that you will move toward a better path. Some people may become passive and stick their heads in the sand, while others may step up and see things clearly; they may realize how unrealistic they’ve been – especially when it comes to trying to rewrite someone else’s story rather than focusing on their own.

Regardless of the road taken, I do agree that changing perspectives is the first step to moving forward if you feel stuck.

[Sherry Liao]

1.If your friends tell you they feel imprisoned by their families, or by their jobs, or by their relationships, would you choose to be “an idiot compassion” or ” a delivering compassionate truth bombs”?

I would choose to be “an idiot compassion” (I know this is contrary to the concept the speaker wants to convey)

Mark Twain said, “The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are in the wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are in the right.” I believe that almost all the friends around me are smart enough to find their own problems. If my friends come to me and tell me they're stuck in some way, it's not that they're relying on me to find a solution, but that they're mentally in pain and need a space for emotional rest and support. At this point, acceptance and no judgment is the most important thing, and I think being a “delivering compassionate truth bombs” may be too clever and out of line. After mentally healing themselves, I believe they will move forward and find a way out in life.

[Rock]

Really? Thank you so much. I'm counting on you now.