Let the old stories go

December 5, 2025

Who or what you would be without the thought? How would you see or feel about the other person? Drop all of your judgments. Notice what is revealed.

Byron Katie

We are the stories we tell. At LinkedIn, this was a mantra when we launched long-form content and encouraged members to share their perspectives. To get their stories out into the world, as a way to build one’s identity and brand.

But here’s the thing about stories: they are all made up. You might think some are “true”, but every story is told through our idiosyncratic prism. Our unique way of seeing reality, not as it is, but as our mind interprets.

Which means sometimes, you have to let the old stories go. Even the ones you’ve told yourself for years. The ones that helped you survive. Make sense of the world. Because at some point, those stories stop serving you. Holding on too tightly holds you back, holds you down. Shedding the old story means losing part of your self. But when you do that, you make room for a new story. One that might better serve this season of life, with more grace and more love and more hope.