Throughout your life and time in the military, you likely had many positive and negative experiences. But what if how you’re feeling right now is based on how you perceive those experiences and speak about them?
Transforming your story into one of self-growth by viewing your past challenges as opportunities to get stronger, smarter, and more resilient is what’s known as embracing a growth narrative. Growth narratives serve as a reminder that you can overcome any obstacle in life and come out on the other end better.
Once you adopt growth narratives into your life, you can reap many benefits. In fact, growth narratives are associated with well-being. You may also experience improved resilience, adaptability, and focus. In addition, you could experience improved communication skills that can help boost team cohesion and performance..
You may wonder how exactly to implement growth narratives into your life. Think of a mission that was riddled with setbacks or challenges and didn’t lead to a successful outcome. Instead of thinking about what went wrong, focus on the lessons you learned. Then take a moment to think about how you’re better equipped to navigate similar challenges in the future.
This worksheet provides an outline to find the positives and lessons within the different chapters of your life, ultimately transforming your life story into one that’s empowering and inspiring. With time, work, and consistency in thinking about and sharing your growth narratives, you can see a positive impact on your health, resilience, and overall well-being.
Want to learn more about post-traumatic growth? Read HPRC’s articles and blogs below for the full scoop.
5 benefits of post-traumatic growth
Leading through tragedy: How to manage stress and build resilience
Published on: August 15, 2024
Fitzgerald, K., Paravati, E., Green, M. C., Moore, M. M., & Qian, J. L. (2020). Restorative narratives for health promotion. Health Commun, 35(3), 356–363. doi:10.1080/10410236.2018.1563032
Georgiadis, E., & Johnson, M. I. (2023). Incorporating personal narratives in positive psychology interventions to manage chronic pain. Front Pain Res (Lausanne), 4, 1253310. doi:10.3389/fpain.2023.1253310
Lilgendahl, J. P., & McAdams, D. P. (2011). Constructing stories of self-growth: How individual differences in patterns of autobiographical reasoning relate to well-being in midlife. J Pers, 79(2), 391–428. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00688.x