How do I stop telling myself the same negative story about my past?

This is where most people get stuck—they notice the story but don't know how to step outside it. Patanjali would say the mind creates patterns (samskaras) that repeat like grooves in a record. The key isn't forcing a positive narrative; it's first becoming aware of *when* and *why* you reach for that old story. Start by noticing: What triggers the story? What does it let you avoid feeling? What does it protect you from? Once you see the function it serves, you can work with it gently rather than against it. Then comes the rewriting—but not by pretending the hard thing didn't happen. Instead, ask: What else is also true about that situation? What did I learn? How did I survive it? What strength did it actually require? These aren't silver-linings; they're the fuller picture your mind edited out. The practice is repetition. Your brain rewired itself into the old story through thousands of repetitions. The new story needs the same commitment. Write it, tell it, notice it. Over weeks, the groove softens. This isn't about positive thinking. It's about psychological accuracy—letting your story be as true and complete as you actually are.