Advice | Flip the Script on Your Bad Story Line

The Spin is a modern take on the classic advice column. Get out of your head and take mine for a spin. New posts every Friday! Submit questions here anonymously.

This week’s question is the last of the year and asks what is on most of our minds, how do I leave the bullshit behind? I’m paraphrasing or, better yet, projecting, but I’m sure there are plenty of scenes you’d like to leave on the cutting room floor while the credits roll on 2022. We’ll chat about three ways to rewrite your story for the new year.

Submission:

Response:

No wonder you want to change the narrative for next year; you were barely in the story. You’ve been showing up as an extra in a film where you are the director, producer, star, craft services, and critic. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to start embracing your main-character energy.

1. Make a Rider

A rider is a list of provisions written into a celebrities contract for appearances. Rihanna famously required a new massive fur rug at every pit stop on her 2010 tour, while Eminen only requested Lunchables and Diet Coke. Your rider doesn’t need to be extravagant; just a list of demands you can fulfill when showing up for yourself and others.

• I only hang out in social circles where my voice is respected.
• I demand the best quality foods for my body
• All dates are expected to show up on time

The practice can help identify and maintain the standards that ensure you stay in focus.

2. Call the Shots

Filmmaker Orson Welles said, “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop the story.”

Even after a dreaded year, gnarled by heartbreak, the camera is still rolling. It’s the perfect setup to deliver a mindblowing plot twist. This…