Discover Your Core Story: By the age of 12, every person forms unconscious beliefs in these three areas:

. How to be safe and secure (perhaps even how to survive)
. How to garner the love and esteem of those around you
. How to control the way others respond to you
These core beliefs are powerful, unconscious drivers of personality that often dictate what a person says and does. They are so powerful, in fact, that people are more influenced by their core beliefs than by what they have learned as an adult.
Developed by Terry S. Smith, The Core Story tool helps an individual explore their core beliefs. The process, based on the genogram, takes the unconscious and unseen and makes them concrete.
The Core Story diagram, similar to a diagram of your family tree, allows you to quickly identify and understand various relationships and traits in your family history that may have had an influence on your behaviors and relational patterns.
Understanding your Core Story raises your awareness of your behaviors and empowers you to decide, as an adult, if the beliefs you adopted as a child are appropriate in your life today.

I'd like to dedicate this book to five special men, each of whom have impacted my life through the gift of deep friendship, a knowledge of their own story, and the greatest story of all.
I mention these men in the order of meeting them. You will find each of these men's lives imprinted deeply in my life's work.
. Landon Saunders, James Woodroof, Russell Bloodworth, Jr.,
. Dr. Merle R. Jordan and Ron Joyner
. Landon, Jim and Rusty have been a friends and mentors for over 50 years.
Merle, my friend and Professor at Boston University studying personality, religion and culture.
Ron is my friend who has worked closely with me over the last 28 years. He is the engine behind establishing our non-profit educational organization - Coaching: Life Matters (CLM)
All of these men have written books that provide deep knowledge of how to live in this world with authentic joy.
Special thanks and recognition goes to the Heart Table Team-hearttable.org
. Larry Malone
. Bill Roberts
. Rocky Tannehill
. Marcus Meazzo-Creative Direction/Publisher
Each of these friends have practiced the Core Story and have been my teachers.
Steve Meeks has taught me so much as we have processed the use of the Core Story as a resource in coaching people how to move forward in life - husband of Donna Jo, father of five, grandfather, excellent therapist and dear friend.
Rebekah Jenkins Gibbs, thank you for bringing your friendship and editing skills to this book and on the website
www.coachinglifematters.org.

The Approach to the Core Story Process 10
Steps to the Core Story Process 16
Step 1 | The Tools 18
Step 2 | Questions Regarding Family of Origin 30
Step 3 | Questions About Relationships in the Family 36
Step 4 | Questions About Experience Outside the Home 42
Step 5 | Questions to Identify Significant, Caring People 46
Step 6 | Questions to Identify Controlling Beliefs 50
Step 7 | Questions to Identify Core Wounds, Lies & Truths 54
Step 8 | Making the Decision 60
Step 9 | Final Thoughts & Reflections 64
Remarks on Healing Through Hearing and Understanding 66
Biography 74
Bibliography 76