Melanie Yost, LCSW, is a success coach with a background as a psychotherapist. Periodically she runs a leadership workshop where participants identify their styles by interacting with horses. I’d known Melanie online for years, but I never met her in person. Then I attended a workshop in Virginia. It was a powerful experience, even though I’m still scared of horses.
When people talked about being stuck or figuring out what to do next, Melanie likes to say, “That’s your story.” So I knew I’d have to interview her for this show.
We begin by talking about the stories people tell themselves and how people change their stories. I talk about how I changed my story from being unfit and interested in sports, to the point now where people think I used to be a tomboy.
9:35: Examples of how people learn to change their stories
11:50: Changing your story can be like writing a new character into a novel
12:30: Why stories we tell ourselves are so helpful in understanding our world
13:25: Melanie talks about her workshop with horses and how someone can change their story
16:10: How work with horses is like a metaphor or movie script of our actions, which makes it easier to see our actions more clearly.
20:45: Stories aren’t good or bad – it’s what’s getting in the way of what you want to do.
22:10: Using stories in coaching.
23:00: Using stories to deal with conflict situation
27:40: Why it’s important to temper your story for your audience
28:10: When someone hits your hot buttons, there’s really a story unraveling here.
29: 00 – “When you begin to look at your story, you play the same role in every story. People need to be the hero or the comedian or the funny sidekick. When you’re in a situation, ask what’s the story.”
We’re like the main character in a murder mystery.