STORY

One of my favorite books of all time is Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It was truly transformative for me- and I don't say that lightly. In the book he wrestles openly with his faith, but he also explains why our stories are so powerful. People don’t just connect to what you do. They need to connect to your purpose, take a walk around in your shoes, and understand your why. Side note: I still quote him to this day, "all sin is selfishness," as I've yet to find an example when it's not true. Link to that book here.

Just as a camera can capture a moment in time, your story

can reflect your history and your future.

Brené Brown talks about “the story we tell ourselves.” She shares examples of how she might start telling herself a story about her husband being upset with her. She explains that usually her anxiety grows the longer the story in her head gets to play itself out. She has learned to pause and say: “The story I'm telling myself is…” and work out what is actually true before the story grows in her imagination. Don't we tend to assume the worst a lot of the time?

But that simple phrase helps us separate what is actually happening from the story our minds are creating.

If you walk this idea out a little further, you begin to realize that many of our memories, childhood or otherwise, have been shaped by the story we told ourselves in that moment. It explains why siblings can remember the same event so differently. We each see things from our own vantage point, and through the emotional lens we had at the time. But if our stories shape who we become, then I want to rewrite some of mine. It’s okay to revisit the stories we’ve been telling ourselves and look again for the brighter parts. For too long I think I focused too much on the darker pieces. (Reread that if you need to. I did.) Sometimes the same memory can hold both pain and beauty. What we choose to notice determines which story we carry forward.

For example, do you believe something can hold space for both good and bad things at the same time? Like, you might go on an incredible ski trip with friends and break your toe on the first day so you can’t ski. (Yes, that really happened to me.)

What you focus on determines the story.

You can focus on the missed opportunity, or you can remember all of the laughter with your friends.

“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” -Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

If our stories shape who we become, then I want to tell better ones, especially to myself.

I’m learning to look at old thoughts, memories, and even past conflicts with new eyes. That perspective has helped me forgive where I once held anger and find empathy where I once held hurt. Some of those reflections even found their way into my most recent design collection.

In fact, I have a story about a chrysanthemum that sat in the wrong space a little too long.

I’ll be retelling that story soon and giving it its own place here on the blog. Understanding the stories we carry and the perspective we bring to our work is also a big part of building a brand that clearly communicates what you do.

Warmest regards,