Julie Beck’s “Life’s Story” considers the role that narratives play in the lives of individuals. One notable assertion in Beck’s story is when she says “… the way people choose to tell the stories of their lives…”. Just this incomplete statement really caused me to think. Yes, everyone has their own narrative that tells who they are as a person. However, individuals can alter their own narrative, by leaving parts out, highlighting others, and telling “their” version of the story, in order to create a certain view of themselves for others. Another assertion was “… the downside of standard narratives have been well-documented– they stigmatize anyone who doesn’t follow them to a T, and provide unrealistic expectations of happiness for those who do”. This idea relates very closely to social media and its impact on society today. I agree with Beck’s assertion and feel that these standard, common narratives are detrimental to people lives and personal well- being. They create an image of how things should be, for example a big one is relationships. These stigmatized ideas of relationships makes people think that they need to have the perfect relationship that is advertised all over social media. Lastly, towards the end of her essay, she includes findings of a study that “finding a positive meaning in negative events is linked to a more complex sense of self and greater life satisfaction” which I completely agree with! I feel that this could be related to faith and the idea that the positive meaning could be God’s purpose in doing it, in order to make a “bad” situation more hopeful. Obviously if you can train yourself to think of the positive in every situation, then you will be better off and have a greater look on life.