Trust and Life Mapping (Episode 4 - Archive)

Trust and Life Mapping (Episode 4 - Archive)

How did I get here?” pointing out that if you don’t know how you got to a dysfunctional place, “there’s a good chance I can go back to that place and not realize I’m doing it.” You’ll hear different methods for mapping your story, like writing memories on sticky notes and putting them in chronological order, or using what Austin calls “body mapping” – listing ages 1 to 20 and noting key events tied to your body, such as accidents, first cigarettes, sexual experiences, fights or abuse.

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation from Relational Recovery zooms in on life mapping and how honestly telling your story can shift patterns of unwanted behaviour. Host Wes Thompson and co-host Austin Hill talk through practical ways to piece together your past so you can better understand your present. Wes stresses the importance of asking, “What happened to me?

The aim isn’t to judge yourself or your family, but to “get a good, honest narration” of your story. Austin gives concrete questions to bring vague childhood memories into focus: who woke you up for school, who made your lunch, how you got to school, whether there was food in the house. These small details help build a clearer picture of how you were nurtured, even if you think you had a “pretty stable” upbringing.

All of this sits within the wider theme of Christian recovery and behaviour change: connecting past events, emotions and beliefs so you can see why you might, as Paul said, “do the things you don’t want to do.” If you’re working through addiction, unwanted habits or just feel stuck, this episode offers structured, gentle ways to start making sense of your story. Ready to sit down with pen and paper and ask, “What actually happened to me?”