Excuses, reasons and stories are synonyms. But people relate to these words in very different ways.
People don’t feel good when they feel they are providing an excuse. They’d much rather prefer if their response was considered a reason. And we adore telling stories, especially to ourselves!
At the end of the day, you are providing an explanation for acting in a way that was contrary to an expectation. And this doesn’t change whether you’ve rationalised this action with an excuse, a reason or a story.
But language is important, and we must appreciate how we can use language effectively to explore our lives.
So, what are the stories you keep telling yourself about a change you’d like to make?