Be the “Director of your life story” to change the story

Have you ever been stuck with an unpleasant memory of a past event along with an unpleasant emotion that was attached to it?  It could be a simple argument with a loved one.

Upon reflection, logically it may be quite trivial but emotionally, it was quite hurtful.

So how can one “edit the scene” with a different emotion in order to reconcile this, if one chooses to do so.

In Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), we can use “playful defusion”.

Consider changing the “scene” in our minds. Change the background color to black and white representing the distant past. Change the tone of the dialogue to something playful. Add a pleasant smell/scent to the experience. Add in an amusing music score to the scene. Create an alternative scene like the option of an alternative ending to a movie.

There’s so many things we can do once we are able to step back as the “Director of our life story” rather than the “Identity/main Star within it”.

This is “zooming out” to ”self as context”.

When we want to change our life story, be the “Director” and not the “Star” in the movie. When we want to be fully immerse in our life story, then be the “Star”. Not good or bad. Just more helpful or less helpful in different context.

I wonder if you have ever tried that?