📖 The story that saved my dad's life

18 years ago my dad almost took his own life.

He was driving home from his 9-5, his boss mad at him, money was tight, and I guess he wasn’t in the best place with my mom.

A voice in his head told him that our family would be happier without him around.

And he believed that story.

So much so, that he crafted a plan to end his life as soon as he got home.

Miraculously, as soon as he pulled in the driveway my older brother (6 years old at the time) unknowingly ran out to the car and asked him to go play legos.

His plan was messed up… and it gave him time to reflect on the story in his head.

As he describes it, a “cosmic 2-by-4” smacked him the head and knocked some sense into him.

He started to rethink everything…

Suddenly, he was ticked off.

How on earth did he get to the point of actually believing that story?!

And how could he make sure it never happened again?

The answer to that question is what helped him:

• lose 100 lbs,

• get out of debt,

• save his marriage,

• and build a multimillion dollar business helping others do the same.

He’s now helped tens of thousands of people in over 80 countries create better, more fulfilling lives.

So what’s the secret?

Don’t wait for the world, your own doubts, or other people write the story of your life. Write your own story.

Choose what you want in life, write it out in detail, and rehearse it.

In fact, the first ever experimental study on optimism was carried out by Laura King from the University of Missouri-Columbia on this very subject.

People who wrote about their “best possible future self” just 20 minutes a day for several days in a row saw significant and lasting boosts in happiness and were even less likely to become ill up to several months later. Crazy!

Other research by Sonja Lyubomirsky and her team found that writing out your story like this:

• makes you more optimistic

• helps you clarify what your goals in life really are

• helps you see those goals as much more attainable

You might be thinking, “Ok Kody, yeah.. I’ll think more about my life and try to do things different”…

No, I mean literally sit down, grab paper and pen or open a note on your phone, and write your story.

Play pretend for a minute.

In your ideal world, what does life look like 3 years from now? (you could also try 1 year or 5 years out in the future)

• What do you do in the morning?

• How much time do you spend with family and friends?

• Where do you work?

• How often do you travel?

• What kind of physical shape are you in?

• How much time do you spend in your hobbies?

• Who are you as a person?

• etc, etc, etc

Here’s where the habit comes in:

Whatever your story is, read it often.

Try every day, or if that seems crazy, do it once a week.

• If you don’t like reading, record yourself reading it once and just listen to the recording.

• Don’t like the sound of your voice? Ask a family member to record themself reading it.

• If that’s awkward, hire a voice actor for $5 on Fiverr.

The point is, you gotta get that story in your head, and just once ain’t gonna cut it.

Once you have your story, go to my dad’s website and get his free Vision Board Course to help you start working toward building the life in your story one step at a time.

Thanks for reading!

- Kody