Stories shape who I am.

As an individual, I imagine myself made up of stories that I have heard and experienced. All my beliefs, values, and intentions are composed of moments that I have shared with myself and other people.

Narratives are the core foundation of the relationships I have formed during my life up until now. They guide the choices I make and the paths I take. One of the most powerful things about stories is their subjectivity, in that they can never be the same for every person. Everyone has their perceptions about a story, and a single moment can curate thousands of versions. The multiplicity gives it a chance to maintain its unique identity.

There are countless types of stories in this universe, told and re-told, left unsaid, imagined, magical, dreamlike, dangerous, courageous and a lot more. In a world so complex, this diversification helps an individual to keep learning and growing. Stories are meanings, connections and hope.

As a curious individual who always listened carefully and observed quietly, and tried to make sense of things. Stories have played a profound role in shaping my self-identities and separating those identities.

Through the understanding that I am not a single version of myself, I have stories that portray me as unconfident, dishonest, arrogant and sometimes selfish. However, alongside these stories, others portray me as loving, kind, caring, joyous, selfless, and confident.

Recognising this multiplicity has been a crucial part for me, as it has allowed me not only to accept the more uncomfortable aspects of myself but also to grow from them and, when needed, to outgrow them.

This ongoing process of self-understanding through stories is at the heart of how I see myself as a person.

About the author: Vijaya Agrawal, a counselling psychologist, has a private practice at Hope Harbour.

My curiosity makes me easily attracted to pretty little things. A human with a lot of openness,

who is gradually building her world bigger. As a writer, I am able to have those unsaid

conversations with people through my writing.