I recently heard the Aborigines of Australia have a saying - that a story hunts for its teller. Ever since we developed language, we've shared stories to make meaning of our lives and the events in them, to pass on teachings to our children and community, and perhaps most of all, to connect about the experience of being human. When we place our life in service of humanity, our stories are not our own, they deserve to be shared.
This past Thursday I revealed, publicly, the most uncomfortable story of my life. It's a story about a time I went through profound crisis. The intensity of the situation forced me to take responsibility for my life in an entirely new way.
It's also a story of how trauma became the pivot point that guided me to redefine and clarify my life's work and mission. And it's about the power that comes from the willingness to change.
About 100 people from my local community showed up at the event where I was speaking. I had to put faith in the prayer that my story might be the salve that would help someone else and also, to face the fear of people talking about or judging me. The process of crafting the story over several days called up an anxiety and sadness I thought I'd left behind.
At the same time, it was powerful to acknowledge and claim out loud the lasting transformation I'm living in as a result of suiting up, showing up and moving through.
Often trauma and crisis do this for us. We're confronted with a problem so big that our internal or external landscape must shift to accommodate. In my life, this means seeking help and taking direction. Surrendering to the care and guidance of a power much bigger than myself. And consistent awareness, acceptance, and action.
What is the story that hunts you and demands to be told?
Would you share with us in the comments below?
