From Catastrophe to Possibility: How a Simple Storytelling Hack Sparked Hope
I walked out of the meeting stunned. My life as I knew it was over. I had just been let go, and in my mind, that meant catastrophe. Within minutes, my thoughts spiraled; I was broke, homeless, and out of options. Only, that wasn’t the truth. My history proves that resilience and the support of others will always lead me down a better path. A better path! But in that moment, my brain refused to believe it.
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From Panic to Possibility: The Moment I Rewrote My Story
I am a catastrophizer! Any little shift in the status quo, and my instinct is to go to the worst possible outcome. If I get bad news at work—"I’m getting fired and will go broke." If my dog looks sickly, "Today is the day." It’s just my tendency. Or was, until I found a way out.
The problem with catastrophizing is that it blocks me from any useful thought or action. The anxiety takes over my brain and body, leaving me in near-paralysis. That is why I am so grateful for finding this rather silly solution, and even more grateful for the relief it has brought me at this crossroads in my life.
I stumbled upon this solution when I thought, “What if I just rewrite the story?” So I enlisted the help of ChatGPT (Chat), and we started writing stories. Well, more specifically, Chat writes the stories, and I find possibilities and inspiration in them.
I use Chat as a sounding board most of the day. He knows a lot about me and what’s going on in my life. For example, I recently shared my current list of action items and priorities and asked if I was missing anything. Chat pointed out several items I needed to include.
With everything Chat knows about me, I wondered, “What kind of future could he imagine?” So I asked:
"Chat, given everything you know about me, write me a story from today to one year in the future. Show me a possible path and where I might land."
The Inspiring Results
The result was exactly what I hoped for. Chat showed me a path that looked feasible and realistic. It made me hopeful that this could actually be the outcome I was moving toward. It provided instant relief.
We’ve continued this practice for months now. Sometimes I give a more specific prompt; setting the timeframe, the trigger for the story, or even introducing a “special friend” to look forward to. My general anxiety is much more in check now.
And the surprising part? The number of business ideas Chat has sent my way. I even asked for a compiled list of all the ideas so I could refer to them when I’m ready to start building new opportunities. The stories are formulaic, but they serve exactly the purpose I need.
Want to See a Future for Yourself That You Never Imagined?
Ask Chat for help. Here’s a prompt to get you started:
"I want to explore my future through storytelling. Here’s where I am today: [describe your career, personal life, and challenges]. Write a story imagining a realistic yet inspiring future for me, set [X months/years] from now. Show my strengths, potential setbacks, and how I overcome them. Add an unexpected twist—something I might not have considered but fits my skills, values, and dreams. Let’s make this a story that helps me see new possibilities and build confidence in my path forward.”
Want to Take This Even Further? Unlock ChatGPT’s Memory
If you’re a paid ChatGPT user, you can tap into its most powerful tool: memory.
ChatGPT remembers details about you to improve responses in future conversations. You can review, delete, or update your memory at any time.
To check your memory settings:
Go to Settings → Personalization → Manage Memory to review and delete stored details. If you ever see a “Memory Full” message, this is where you can fix it.
I Bet You’re Curious! Try It and Let Me Know.
Go ahead and give it a try. I’ll wait…
You can read one of my stories below for an example.
What story did ChatGPT craft for you? Did it shift how you see your future? Drop your experience in the comments—I’d love to hear!
Or join the subscriber chat!
Here’s an example of a future story that gave me clarity and confidence. Maybe it sparks something for you too.
The Breakthrough Year
By: ChatGPT
March 2025 – New York City
Vicki sat at her desk, the last few moments of her webinar replaying in her mind. The launch of Beyond Aligned Books had officially begun.
It had gone well, but not without its challenges.
Some attendees were engaged and excited, immediately booking discovery calls. Others had asked great questions but hesitated to commit. And a few had simply disappeared, never responding to the follow-up emails she sent.
She took a deep breath.
This is what building a business looks like. Not an overnight success, but a steady climb.
And she was ready for it.
Early Wins and Hard Lessons
The first few months of 2025 were a mix of small victories and frustrating setbacks.
✔️ She signed her first full-paying client—a boutique marketing firm that needed bookkeeping support.
✔️ The Cost-Benefit Worksheet sold steadily, though not in massive numbers—yet.
✔️ Her Substack audience grew, but converting free readers into paying subscribers proved tougher than expected.
Meanwhile, she faced obstacles she hadn’t anticipated:
❌ A bookkeeping client ghosted her on an invoice, forcing her to chase down payments.
❌ She underestimated how much time client work would take, leaving less time for scaling her digital products.
❌ She had a moment of burnout, questioning if this was really sustainable.
It wasn’t easy.
But resilience isn’t about ease—it’s about pushing forward anyway.
The Unexpected Pivot
In June, just as she was getting into a rhythm, something unexpected happened.
A well-known small business influencer had stumbled upon her Cost-Benefit Worksheet and shared it on LinkedIn.
Within 48 hours, her website traffic tripled.
Sales spiked.
And her inbox filled with messages from entrepreneurs wanting to learn more.
Instead of chasing clients one by one, they were now coming to her.
That’s when she realized:
💡 The real scalability of her business wasn’t in 1:1 services—it was in creating products that sold themselves.
So she shifted her strategy.
✔️ She refined the worksheet into a full-fledged decision-making framework.
✔️ She created a mini-course to teach business owners how to use it.
✔️ She introduced live group coaching sessions, allowing her to help more people at once.
By fall of 2025, her business model looked completely different than it had in March.
And for the first time, she saw a path to true sustainability.
Taking It International
By early 2026, Vicki had built something real.
✔️ Recurring revenue from digital products gave her stability.
✔️ Referrals from financial professionals kept her bookkeeping and consulting work selective and profitable.
✔️ Substack became more than just an idea—it was an engaged community of people who wanted to learn from her.
And that’s when she decided: it was time to hit the road.
She sublet her apartment, packed her bags, and booked a one-way ticket to Spain.
The plan?
Spend a few months in Valencia—her favorite city in the world—and see where life took her from there.
Summer 2026 – Porto, Portugal
It turned out, life had more in store for her than she expected.
She had landed in Valencia in the spring, expecting to stay three months. But as her business flourished, so did her connections.
A new opportunity emerged—one that blended her love of business with teaching and mentoring.
A business incubator in Portugal invited her to lead a workshop series on small business finance.
At first, she hesitated. Teaching had never been part of her long-term plan. But something in her gut told her to say yes.
And by the time she stepped off the train in Porto, preparing to teach her first international workshop, she knew—
This wasn’t just about running a business anymore.
This was about expanding her impact.
And she was ready for it.
The Takeaway
As she stood on the rooftop terrace of her co-living space, watching the sunset over Porto, she thought back to that March day in 2025, when she had just launched Beyond Aligned Books.
She had been hopeful but uncertain.
She had wondered if she had what it took.
Now?
She wasn’t wondering anymore.
Because she had built something real.
She had pivoted, adapted, and thrived.
She had taken the leap—and landed exactly where she was meant to be.
And as she raised her glass to the warm summer night, she smiled.
Because this was just the beginning.
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I just tried this, and I am floored! I, too, work with my buddy Chat on the regular, it knows me quite well, and yet I am shocked at what it managed to "vision" for me. It's exactly a future I would be really excited to experience! It gave me an idea I would never have thought of, and yet it's so simple. I hope this time Chat isn't just hallucinating, and maybe is actually tapped into a quantum reality! 😊
Fascinating! This is a very creative way to incorporate AI into your life. I will have to try this :)