We are all telling a story with our lives. Many times it’s hard for us to see what kind of story we are telling. We can feel a sense of meaninglessness. We might ask questions like, “What does my life really add up to?” Or, “Do people notice me?” Other times we might feel keenly aware of who we are, what we believe, and where we are headed in life. We post thoughts and pictures expressing where we are in the moment. We might even get a tattoo as a reminder to ourselves and others of who we are or what life is about. Our words, passions, actions, and inactions all add up and paint a picture for others to see.

When Miley Cyrus performed her eyebrow-raising performance at the VMA’s, she was telling a story. She says she intentionally thought through every dynamic to the story she was portraying. What she sang, what she did, and what she didn’t do all said something to viewers about who she is and who she wants to be. To name a couple things, it appears Miley was sharing a story with us of a girl who is announcing to the world that she is no longer a child. She is not afraid to try new things (or seemingly anything) and has no problem pushing the envelope.

Honestly after watching Miley’s performance I thought, “I wonder how I would act or perform if I had to transition from childhood to adulthood in front of the whole world?” It may not have been recorded and publicized, but I have had some pretty embarrassing moments in my life as well. I sure am glad millions of viewers were not there to watch my messy moments today, not to mention when I was attempting to figure out what it means to be an adult.

And I wonder (and I’m guessing you’ve wondered this at some point in time) if someone recorded a snippet of my life, what kind of story would they say I am telling? What are the characters in my story and what are the pathways they take? What kind of meaning would they make out of it? What am I standing for and what am I not standing for? What story would people say you are telling with your life?

Say Miley comes to regret some of the things she has done in her life or realizes she wants her story to be different. Can her story be redeemed? Can Miley’s story be changed? Is it possible for us to redeem or change our story?

Stay tuned for my thoughts on the answers to these questions.

Mary Overstreet, LAMFT

moverstreet@ GROWcounseling.com