Hi, and thank you for visiting my site, Change Your Story.
I’m a huge music fan so, to quote the great, and very sadly departed, Prince, I’m gonna show you what it’s all about…
I’m Matthew…
…and Change Your Story was born out of a period of significant change in my life, following divorce and ongoing struggles with my mental health.
In December 2015, I felt a compulsion to write about what I was going through, with the aim of helping me to process it all, and to hopefully help others going through similar challenges.
I had never written before and had no idea where the urge came from – nor where it would lead to…
Sharing my story changed my life in so many unexpected ways:
- I became a published author (twice! Including a collection of poetry – I never say that one coming!)
- I became an active campaigner for mental health, leading to
- appearing in a feature on ITV’s Lorraine with Louie Spence (about as random as it gets !)
- featuring in an awareness video with a Great British Bake Off winner, and a Hollywood actress (seriously, things like this don’t happen to a bloke from Middlesbrough!)
- I left my job and started my own business (something I would never have dreamed of at the start of all of this)
The Power of Our Stories
Telling my story taught me so much. In particular, it taught me about the stories I told myself, and this lead to the development of my unique approach to helping others.
We are the stories we tell ourselves – about who were are, about our place and purpose in the world, and about the events and circumstances of our life.
Our life is our story, and I believe the quality of our lives reflects the collection of stories we hold about ourselves and about life.
I help people to build new – and better – lives, by helping them to better understand their stories, and to reframe the story where the narratives they hold are not serving them.
I am particularly passionate about using my experience to help people who are going through a breakup, and people who have struggled with their mental health and are seeking to better understand themselves and to live a more purposeful life.
We can all change our stories, and in doing so we can change our lives.
I believe…
My personal struggles, and the strength I have found in overcoming them, have shaped my beliefs.
- I believe that our stories contain immense power to connect us and to inspire each other
- I believe that everyone has a story to tell
- I believe that we are capable of far more than we believe possible
- I believe that the worst things that happen to us can lead directly to the very best
- I believe that it is our task in life to discover, to our fullest ability, who we are, what our purpose is, and to have the courage to build a life around our purpose for the good of others.
I hope that I can inspire you on your journey.
Very best wishes
Matthew
Read about my appearance with Louie Spence on Lorraine here
Read about my taste of Hollywood – and watch the video – here
23 thoughts on “About Change Your Story”
Hi Matthew I stumbled on your blog whilst trying to find my blog I wrote in 2013 at university which happened to be given the same title as yours. I had featured a lot of my struggles with coming to terms with my divorce and single parenting and also looking at the funny side of life. Well done on making a success of your writing I do often believe all the reflections and writing I did for my degrees has been a way to clear the mind x
Just read 7 myths about depression via Yahoo and everything you said was true. Reading more of your blogs daily!
Thank you Mary! I hope you like them 😊
Hey Matthew, found your blog thru Sonia’s Facebook post. I recently created a conceptually similar Space for the global Jewish community’s wellness. Would love if you’d check it out and share your thoughts and feedback with me. In the meantime, I’ll dive deeper into yours!
Best,
Fay
Thank you for dropping by Fay 😊 Yes I’ll check that out, sounds great.
Found page through SuzieSpeaks :). Just wanted to let you know your Facebook social link is broken.
Thank you Hanna! Don’t suppose you know how to fix it?!? Haha!
Are you using a WP plug in for the social link? Do you have the URL to the actual FB Page? If it already has the Facebook.com/[insert handle afterward]. If not I would try just pasting the ID in. You can try pasting it in a reply to this and I can test it out.
Thank you!
https://m.facebook.com/mwlovelaughtertruth/
Thank you Hanna, think I’ve managed to fix it with your help 😊
You are very welcome! Glad you were able to fix it :D!
Hi Matthew. I have just come over from Suzie’ blog. I love the sound of your blog and I too like to try and see the funny side of life, especially when sh*t haappens! Anyway,I just wanted to say hello and have a poke around your blog! 🙂
Thank you for visiting Judy! I hope you like what you find here amongst the shit haha! 😊
Hi, I found your blog via Suzie Speaks! Your posts are the sorts of things I like to write about too. I’m looking forward to taking a look around 🙂
Thank you, I hope you like what you find here! I’ll be sure to check yours out too 😊
You’re doing great job, big support from Serbia 😊
Thank you Suzana and as are you, big support back to you from England 🙂
What a brilliant topic for a blog! I commend you. One aspect I noticed in the title for your site “Love, Laughter & Truth” is that they always seem to go together.
PEACE!
– DDM
Thank you! I think you’re right, seems like a good signpost to what I’m looking for in life!