Shared Realities
When the World No Longer Sees the Same Story
There was a time, not long ago
when we gathered around a single screen,
a nightly broadcast,
a Sunday paper,
a Thursday-night drama.
We laughed together.
We argued.
We reacted.
Because we were tethered by the same story.
Today, the tether has snapped.
NOW: A Fractured Feed, A Fractured Feeling
While on the plane from Porto to Newark, I watched the Trevor Noah “What Now” podcast.
Six of them in a row, to be exact.
One of the episodes featured Malcolm Gladwell.
Trevor Noah asked Malcolm Gladwell:
What happens when we no longer share a common lens?
Gladwell’s answer was piercing:
We’ve lost the watercooler.
The nightly news is no longer nightly.
The truth is no longer collective.
Even reality is up for debate.
We scroll past each other.
Curated bubbles.
Personalized outrage.
Infinite feeds.
Zero shared context.
The result?
More content. Less connection.
More access. Less agreement.
More information. Less understanding.
Ask yourself:
~ When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation about the same thing someone else experienced?
~ Do you feel seen or simply watched?
~ Are you building a life from your truth, or from a thousand fragmented impressions?
NEW: Narrative as the New Commons
In a post-broadcast world, we need a new broadcast.
But not from networks. From ourselves.
Narrative is no longer just how you explain your past.
It’s how you invite others into your reality.
It’s the campfire in a collapsing timeline.
The resonance point in a world with no sync.
If we no longer have shared shows,
shared sources,
shared truths…
Then we must create shared spaces.
Built not on headlines. But on humanity.
Ask yourself:
~ What are the few things I believe deeply enough to share, not stream?
~ Who are the people in my life with whom I create shared reality?
~ How do I use my story, not to persuade, but to invite?
NEXT: ShiftStory as Your Signal
This is where ShiftStory steps in.
We don’t need more media.
We need more meaning.
ShiftStory isn’t about packaging yourself.
It’s about anchoring yourself
so others can find their way to you.
Because in the noise of infinite realities,
your narrative becomes your signal.
And that signal creates gravity.
Pulling in the right people, the right work, the right resonance.
This is the next great challenge:
To craft a narrative that others can trust
not because it’s polished,
but because it’s true.
Ask yourself:
~ What shared reality do I want to create through my work?
~ What’s one story I could tell that makes someone feel less alone?
~ What would shift if I stopped broadcasting and started connecting?
THE PAYOFF: From Isolation to Invitation
In the Now, we recognize the loss of a center.
In the New, we reclaim narrative as the connective tissue.
In the Next, we become signal-makers, not just content consumers.
Shared Realities aren’t about mass media anymore.
They’re about meaningful mirrors.
Your story, told truthfully, becomes a tuning fork for someone else.
Because the future won’t belong to the loudest voice
It will belong to the most resonant one.
Don’t aim for viral.
Aim for visceral.
Don’t try to reach everyone.
Reach someone deeply.
Shift your story.
Build your mosaic.
Create a shared reality worth stepping into.
“You are a hostage to your own perception.” ~ Naval Ravikant
I’m Tobin Trevarthen. I am a Narratologist. I am a fusion of coach, mentor, and creator. My purpose is to enable you to shift your story from who you are to who you are becoming. Welcome to ShiftStory™.
ShiftStory™ is my evolved idea for building narrative agency in a rapidly changing world, where yesterday’s containers and approaches are no longer valid. I fundamentally believe we are entering a new Renaissance, and owning your story will become more paramount than ever before.
My ShiftStory™ is an intentional evolution: I am building a company and a life where relationships are consciously cultivated through reciprocity. Every connection is formed with purpose, and every decision is guided by mutual support and shared value.
My narrative is not just for those I serve; it is the story I am choosing to live, moving away from the pursuit of scale and toward a future defined by meaningful, reciprocal relationships.
Follow me on LinkedIn and Substack. DM at tobin@spatialshift.com or sign up for the ShiftStory™ waitlist here https://shiftstory.carrd.co/
Yes, this makes sense. It is no longer about the collective narrative coming to us from the outside. We are building the narrative on the inside and sending it out to others who connect with it. It is the new shared reality - it's authentic, personal, and cannot be faked, bought or sold.
You are BRILLIANT!!! You are the water cooler! Noah and Malcolm have nothing on Tobin. We must get you in a larger arena or... Better yet, as you state, let that arena find you!