Think you are getting tired of your same old excuses (stories) for not being as successful as you'd like? Imagine how the people around you feel! I hear it all the time: "This person was manipulative; this person didn't appreciate my efforts; this person constantly looks for my weaknesses rather than my brilliance." With all due respect, give it a rest.

We all have a past composed of great, good and not so good experiences. It's up to us each moment of each day to decide exactly which experiences are a part of who we are today.

Client Sean worked to update his story and it makes a great example for this article. Sean was a product of his environment in college--smoking, drugs and alcohol. He carried these behaviors into his 20s, never giving it a second thought. One surprising day, Sean learned that he had cancer. His focus instantly turned from victim to survival. Now, ten years later, he is a marathon runner, amazing husband and dad, health nut, and emerging leader in his company. Sean chose to make his cancer a focal point from which to move forward, not an excuse or story to hold him back.

What is your story? Is something in your past holding you from moving forward strongly and powerfully? It could be something that happened only last week. You have it within you at this moment to simply breathe and let it go. It really is that simple.

Before you update your story, you do need to release the old one. Here are some methods to do just that:

Talk about it to the point of nausea. You've circled around this wagon so much that it has become who you are. So just go there. Tell the story to one or many individuals so that you once and for all get it out and get whatever you want from reliving it over and over again—pity, sympathy, understanding? Could you just get it off your mind one last time and let it go permanently.

Journal. I love this tool the best, because it slows my mind way down and allows a much more-meaningful perspective to unfold. Isolate yourself, get some writing paper, and write it all out until your hand refuses to write one more word. Then write some more. As the words come out, so will the meaning. Sean learned that he needed to face something as dramatic as a life-threatening disease in order to make dramatic changes in his world. If you are worried about someone reading your words later, just burn them. The key is that you get the learning.

Draw, write a song or dance or belt it out. For those of you who are more artistically talented, these are means to more rapidly get to the center of your story. Once at the center, it all makes more sense. You know what the moving parts are and precisely what to do with them. Follow your style. For some of you it will be loud and bold, while others will benefit from softness.

The next part is easy. As you release your old excuse stories, a brand new one will evolve. Your new story may surprise you as it may be nothing that occurred to you before. How could it? Your mind and heart were so filled with what was holding you back, how could you possible entertain thoughts of what success will move you forward?

Enjoy your process and your new, updated story.