Our lives are shaped by the stories we tell ourselves—over and over again. These stories define our beliefs, actions, and ultimately, our outcomes. But some people rewrite their stories—and by doing so, they transform their lives.

Let me share a powerful example.

In his biography, Will Smith—one of Hollywood’s most successful actors and comedians—says something striking:

“Because I am Black, I have an advantage over people. Everything I do gets noticed more easily.”

What the world often labels a disadvantage, he reframes as an advantage. That’s the power of storytelling. It’s not about what happens to you—it’s about the story you create around it.

Now, let me share one of my own.

One of the biggest limiting beliefs I used to carry was:
“I have to be perfect.”

It held me back in many ways. I was constantly chasing flawlessness, fearing mistakes, and overthinking every move. But here’s what I’ve learned:

Our imperfections are what make us grow.
The mistakes we make today often become the medals we wear tomorrow.

Today, people see me as someone excelling in sales. But what they don’t always see is the series of blunders I made early on. If you ask my team, they’ll tell you: I stumbled. I got things wrong. A lot. But with each mistake, I got better—and I’m proud of the growth.

Do I still make mistakes? Absolutely. But now they’re new mistakes—and each one holds a lesson that sharpens my skills for tomorrow.

So I’ll ask you this:
Would you rather be someone who appears perfect…
or someone who’s earned a thousand medals through growth, effort, and resilience?

As the NLP presupposition wisely reminds us:

“There is no failure, only feedback.”

And remember:

A master was once a disaster.

So here’s my invitation to you:

Take a moment. Think about the story you’ve been telling yourself. Is it helping you grow—or holding you back?