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# The Old Story
- URL: https://fieldnotes.steveschlafman.com/the-old-story/
- Published: 2026-08-30T11:00:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-30T12:24:42.000Z
- Author: Steven Schlafman
- Tags: stories, coaching

During an early morning bike ride several weeks ago, a song came on that made me pull over. I looked at the title, saved it to a playlist, and hit replay. I can't stop listening to it. 

"[the old story](https://genius.com/Trevor-hall-the-old-story-lyrics?ref=fieldnotes.steveschlafman.com)," by Trevor Hall, with his wife, the poet Emory Hall, on vocals.

It's about the old stories we carry about ourselves, and how they keep shaping our lives.

We all have them. Some we're conscious of and know so well that we don't even stop to question them. Others are running underneath the surface, coloring how we see the world and how we behave.

The combination of the lyrics, his voice, and the pace of the song keeps working on me weeks later. 

*You just gotta let that old story go* 
*You just gotta let that good river flow into your heart*

I'm letting go of the story that I'm a lone wolf, especially at work. For the better part of the last decade, I believed I couldn't work on a team. I needed freedom and agency. At one point, I even wondered if I could be effective if I wasn't on my own. That story was part of why I shuttered Downshift. Now I’m in the process of building something new, and I can feel the familiar pull to go it alone. On Thursday, one of my partners helped me see that this is a story I’ve been telling myself. He was right.

I've sent the song to a handful of clients who are working with old stories that are getting in their way. I wanted to send it to you too. Maybe there's one you're still holding onto.

*Who will you be if you let it stay?*