An Imagined Letter from Covid-19 to Humans

This is a must read – written by Kristin Flyntz.

It is a way of looking at the pandemic and our lives to find a meaning for what is happening right now.

It is also the story way of thinking.

Enjoy!

An Imagined Letter from Covid-19 to Humans

Stop. Just stop.
It is no longer a request. It is a mandate.
We will help you.

We will bring the supersonic, high speed merry-go-round to a halt.
We will stop
the planes
the trains
the schools
the malls
the meetings
the frenetic, furied rush of illusions and “obligations” that keep you from hearing our single and shared beating heart,
the way we breathe together, in unison.

Our obligation is to each other,
As it has always been, even if, even though, you have forgotten.

We will interrupt this broadcast, the endless cacophonous broadcast of divisions and distractions,
to bring you this long-breaking news:

We are not well.
None of us; all of us are suffering.

Last year, the firestorms that scorched the lungs of the earth
did not give you pause.
Nor the typhoons in Africa,China, Japan.
Nor the fevered climates in Japan and India.

You have not been listening.

It is hard to listen when you are so busy all the time, hustling to uphold the comforts and conveniences that scaffold your lives.

But the foundation is giving way,
buckling under the weight of your needs and desires.
We will help you.
We will bring the firestorms to your body
We will bring the fever to your body
We will bring the burning, searing, and flooding to your lungs
that you might hear:
We are not well.

Despite what you might think or feel, we are not the enemy.

We are Messenger. We are Ally. We are a balancing force.

We are asking you:

To stop, to be still, to listen;

To move beyond your individual concerns and consider the concerns of all;

To be with your ignorance, to find your humility, to relinquish your thinking minds and travel deep into the mind of the heart;

To look up into the sky, streaked with fewer planes, and see it, to notice its condition: clear, smoky, smoggy, rainy? How much do you need it to be healthy so that you may also be healthy?

To look at a tree, and see it, to notice its condition: how does its health contribute to the health of the sky, to the air you need to be healthy?

To visit a river, and see it, to notice its condition: clear, clean, murky, polluted?

How much do you need it to be healthy so that you may also be healthy? How does its health contribute to the health of the tree, who contributes to the health of the sky, so that you may also be healthy?

Many are afraid now.

Do not demonize your fear, and also, do not let it rule you. Instead, let it speak to you—in your stillness,
listen for its wisdom.

What might it be telling you about what is at work, at issue, at risk, beyond the threats of personal inconvenience and illness?

As the health of a tree, a river, the sky tells you about quality of your own health, what might the quality of your health tell you about the health of the rivers, the trees, the sky, and all of us who share this planet with you?

Stop.
Notice if you are resisting.
Notice what you are resisting.
Ask why.

Stop. Just stop.
Be still.
Listen.

Ask us what we might teach you about illness and healing, about what might be required so that all may be well.

We will help you, if you listen.”

 

 

The fear is real

We all know fear. Know it well.

And wanting to DO something, anything, to take back control is also what we all feel. After all, fight or flight is real, and we know deep down what happens when you freeze. It comes back to haunt and haunt and haunt.

So when someone tells the story of what they are going to do, of course, we automatically think THAT’S what I can do! I’ve felt it, you’ve felt it. TOILET PAPER, that’s what I can do.

Oh yes, the impulse was there. I saw it, I felt it.

Somehow I managed to think up other ways I might be able to stay clean if I have to self isolate and the unthinkable (!) happens, (Thank you older parents who were shaped by the Depression) but the impulse is there.

And now there are people not only stockpiling but fighting over toilet paper.

And because I’m not happy about my own silly fear (my own label!!) then that fear in others must be silly too.

But that’s all it is, just fear.

And just as I need (oh so desperately) to not judge myself for that fear, then perhaps I can, we can, accept it in others. Yes it has horrible outcomes, yes it does not generate the best thing to do, but it IS understandable.

So here’s a thing – the opposite of fear is love. Woah!!? I remember THAT light bulb, and then, later on, connecting hate to the underlying driver. The opposite of fear is love.

And even more of a light bulb – when you feel loved, the fear diminishes and the calm self is there after all.

I only received that from my inner self recently and am still working on altering where I’m not recognising it in my story.

Give that fear some love – in ourselves and in all of our selves.

Thanks for being here for me. The story I tell me matters, and I am constantly finding the one that I can live with best. The story you tell you matters. And when we tell it together, the world changes!!!

Who’s telling your story? Take back control and own your voice

Are you “baulking” at some of your actions plans this year?  somehow not quite doing what you committed to doing, and therefore not achieving the goals you set? 

It’s time to change the story.

So we went into 2020 (or are still going into 2020!!) with goals, dreams, hopes

for the life you want, and especially the speaking you want.

Maybe you set them this year.

Maybe they are a continuation of aims that you had last year,

aims that you set about putting into practice.  

And again this year, as the year progresses, the goals and dreams and hopes are transformed into plans 

and those become actions,

 the things we have committed to doing,

the story of your day by day actions and behaviours.

Maybe you decided that you would walk or exercise so many times, or for so many minutes per day or week.

Maybe you decided you would start speaking up at team meetings.

Maybe you decided to eat more greens at every dinner this year,

or that you would get in front of more audiences of prospective buyers or clients for your business.

Goals, dreams, hopes and actions.

And sometimes over the months, you succeeded.  It felt good.  It felt like progress

and it was. 

A feeling of pride in yourself, of growth and expansion, of freedom.

And sometimes over the months, you did not put those plans into action.

You baulked.

Baulk is a word I don’t use much these days.  It reminds me of my pony-riding days when the pony would baulk at a fence, or baulk and refuse to cross a stream. 

She was stubborn and I was no horse-woman.  So while I certainly intended to go over the fence or cross the stream, while I had told myself the story of crossing over to that part of the paddock,

that pony, “Midget” by name because she came up to the withers of my father’s horse, I suppose,

told a completely different story.

“Nope, we’re not crossing that obstacle, not now.”

Not my story,

the horse’s story. 

Her voice. 

Her story.

And THAT was the action we took.

So who was telling your story? 

Those times when you baulked at the opportunity

to advance your career,

get that promotion,

by speaking up at the team meeting,

when you turned down the opportunity to grow your business by speaking about it to potential customers,

were not necessarily any lack on your part, of commitment or ability or inspiration. 

They may have been the reason, but

perhaps someone else was telling your story.

Was it your family?

Somewhere along the line, maybe it was made clear that “we don’t do public speaking in this family”.

Understandable.  Belonging to a tribe is vital for us, those early attachments made in childhood can feed our future stories forever.  Our family and its culture is a strong influence.

Was it a teacher/coach/mentor?

I think it’s normal for all of us to remember criticism more than we remember praise.  If someone was giving you feedback and it was not properly presented, you may have perceived a negative judgement, of not only your speaking but also yourself as a person.

Understandable.  Not all coaches/teachers/mentors are skilled at feedback.  No-one is immune to remembering only the negative.  It’s our basic survival mechanism.  Look for threats before you enjoy the safety.

Was it someone aiming to hurt or take you down?

There are certainly people who will laugh at misfortune and rub it in.  There are those who resent success and will undermine it.

Again, our tribe, our peers, our classmates or team-mates are vital to our survival in that social situation.  Their approbation is important, and to be taken seriously.

And just as importantly, was it your inner critic telling your story?

“I’m not good enough.  I’ll stay quiet.”

“It’s probably a silly thing I’ve put together.  They’ll laugh.”

“Everyone else is so confident and clever.  I can’t compete with that.”

So it’s time for you to take over the story.

The first step in any storytelling is to gather all the stories you need, first,

which is what we just did.

Did you answer “yes” to any of the examples above?

Of maybe you had another voice speaking for you, and governing your actions, your story.

So you found the storyteller.

The second step is always to honour that storyteller, that voice.

It’s part of you, after all, no matter where it came from – family, critic, bully or inner critic. 

Acknowledge that voice.

It’s part of you.  It’s OK.  

The whole you can’t go forward confidently if part of you is feeling negated.  It will just rise again.

So acknowledge it. 

Then let that voice know to stand aside until it is needed again.

Was it your family?

Thank the family. 

This time you need a new, more productive way of looking at this thing called “public speaking.”

Was it your inner critic?

Thank your inner critic. 

They were keeping you safe.  Something made your unconscious self think it needed to be safe, so those voices came to the fore to protect you.

When you know you will be safe (have prepared as much as possible for success,) then you can thank those voices and remind them that you are prepared for anything that might be challenging, and ask them to move back so you can be confident. 

Then re-tell your success story, the one you set up when you set your goals and hold that feeling of safety and confidence.

Was it the bullies or the thoughtless, feedback?

Thank the bullies and the givers of feedback.

And then,

now that you are in control of the story,

you can make a choice. 

Either accept their information and find ways to improve,

or accept that those people had their own issues that have nothing to do with your success. 

You can see that this is you taking back the voice of your story,

making it your own,

you, the voice of your speaking story

your life,

your 2020.

And you can jettison the shame in your lack of progress,

the tight feeling of not moving forward,

and reclaim feeling good, feeling progress.

Bring back the feeling of pride in yourself, of growth and expansion, of freedom.

This article has been about storytelling to create a mindset – a new way of looking at storytelling for many of us.

It’s the stories we tell to ourselves, about ourselves, about how we will move forward day by day, week by week, year by year, that decide what we will do, who we will be, how we will feel and what we will achieve.

They choose our means of dealing with life,

give meaning to our dreams and goals.

I have been using this way of looking forward, of building resilience, of coping with challenges for several years now, and though I am learning huge amounts, I also love what it can do for myself and my clients as they move to tell their stories and use storytelling to create change for themselves and for others.

So while the article today has been about storytelling for mindset, if you have a presentation coming up and would like to know that you have the elements of success embedded and ready to go, (or have other mindset issues!) please let me know and we can work out a way for you to ensure that the preparation is complete. – that you can be confident AND effective. 

Just fill in your details here.

Story – a re-awakening

Here and now. Your story, our story

is coming into its own.

Your story matters.

“We locked up our wisdom into our bones

And swallowed the keys
They sank in our rivers of blood
And we forgot the maps
Because we had to forget the mysteries
To keep them safe.

We wove our hair into brooms
And swept over our paths
And then burned the earth with our rage
We didn’t teach our children
It was the only way to protect them,
we thought

But in them we planted seeds, seeds and keys
And told them stories and riddles and songs
With no roots, just tangled threads
That would take years to unwind
Just enough time
For the rains to fall again
and put out the fires
For the dams to break
For the rivers to flood
For the paths
to be walked again
For the soil to breathe

And as the old bones crumble
Deep beneath the rubble
We find we’ve always had the keys
Our stories and our maps
Our paths are revealed to some
And the seeds grow again
The threads are unspun
And woven again

~ Amara Bronwyn Hollow Bones

My Mother’s hands

Read more

Putting your story assets to work.

Searching through your story assets

If you were a business,

if you owned a business,

you would know your assets,

wouldn’t you?

You would know their worth.

You would know just how they worked to bring value to your business
to your output
to your value
to your ultimate success
as a business.

You would know, though you might not be aware of the detail,
of the laws surrounding,
and the implications of,
owning them
using them.
….

Now maybe you are not a business, though you may own one.

But the idea still applies

because your stories are your assets.

And before you dismiss the thought immediately, thinking

that you have no stories of value,

and what’s the value of a story anyway,

why is it an asset?

let me start by telling you that it’s not always big, exciting stories

of huge achievements in overcoming obstacles,

or shining success,

or of incredibly emotional moments

that have value,

In fact, told badly, those stories can be liabilities.  I’ve known my share of those as an audience or as a reader!!

It’s not the entertainment or wow factor of the story that makes it an asset most of the time,

it’s what you use it for and how you use it.

Whether you are in business and building your influence and income,

at work and building your career and leadership

or building your personal well-being and presence,

for every challenge that you face, 

for every time you need to change or look forward or influence, 

every time you have to identify and acknowledge your value

there is a story.

They are there, ready to be found 

and told 

and their message, their meaning implemented, 

to give your business, your career, your personal wellbeing the growth that it needs.

To find those story assets and ensure you are fully utilizing their value, there is a simple 5-step process that I use with clients and in my own life, and these are steps you can use, no matter whether you are applying it to yourself, your business,  or your career.

Step One Identify the challenge
What is the problem? 
What is the element you need in order to solve it?

Step Two  Find stories of experiences around that element
Ask. 
Ask yourself 
Ask your clients. 
Ask your team. 
Ask your friends.

Step Three  Harvest the meaning
Decide what the relevant message is for you/your business/your career

and for this challenge.

Step Four  Honour the storytellers 
If it’s you, your faith in yourself increases. 

If it’s your team/your friends/your workmates, you have them onside as you face the challenge. 

Step Five  Translate meaning into action 
Make the presentation, implement the changes …

and remember

to honour your stories.  Make it a process you use, and often, to find them, curate them, tell them and implement their wisdom, whenever you face a challenge

whenever you need to change

whenever you have a vision to implement..

,

A New Year of story

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!

And I do wish you happiness

and peace

and joy

 and whatever it is that makes life worthwhile for you.

Because we will need it!

Because while resolutions and positive thinking are fabulous,

you and I both know that there will be breakages, down times, sometimes ugly times, and then, we will need all the happiness, peace and joy we can get.

There is, however, an upside of all of this

and my message to you today, at this time of year is a reminder that ….

We’ve all been through it, in one way or another…

breaking and growing stronger,
not by choice, usually.
 But when we share the story of that descent into broken-ness

and the rise out of it to become strong and whole,

whatever that means to us,

 it creates connections,

friendships,

maybe even a tribe,

with those who are breaking,

and those who have rebuilt.  

and it’s made so much more powerful

by the fact that

while we all break and rebuild, grow stronger,

each of us, you, me, we,

has our own unique way of breaking and recovering

unique. 

Of course that is part of the story you tell.

Your own story.

There’s a trendy word for it ..

“authentic”

which in ordinary language basically just means telling the truth!

Tell that truth, though, and you pave the way for connections that gives you leadership status and multiplied credibility and influence.

Just telling your unique lived experience   …  your story … being you.

This is our year, my friends

our year

to own our stories

to grow,

to share those stories

to prosper

to live stories worth the telling

and to make if only our own part of the world

the best it can be.

Let’s DO this

together!

Together.

Because when we are in the pits,

down,

learning the hard way,

those are the times to do two things

…  look towards the growth, the up times,

and the beauty (even if it’s only the next door garden’s geraniums!!) 

and

…. remember those connections, that tribe? 

It’s not just you telling them stories,

they are also telling theirs and

I know that in the hard times, the lost times, the despair time

if I turn to them and listen

I will, you will, find that connection,

see yourself in their stories

along with the ideas and models

that will allow you to access the inner wisdem

for re-writing your own story

… from them.

So yes

Let’s do this

TOGETHER!  

Finding the right balance in branding

Pulling out your insides for the world to see.

Dredging up the entrails

and holding them up for scrutiny.

Laying your heart bare.

 

That’s what we are being required to do.

 

Well, that’s what it feels like

at the beginning.

 

OR

Crafting a carefully considered,

seriously edited,

pushed,

pummeled and polished sculpture to hold up to the world.

Presenting it.

Modestly smiling over it.

Handing it around to be admired and stroked for the burnished feel of it.

 

 

OR

 

Telling the stories that will create connection.

Gathering the stories that

provoke a startled then grateful response

“Me too”

Finding the stories that build a deep self belief

and pivotal growth, change and service

to something larger, stronger, greater.

 

 

Pivotal Story Studio
Building brands one story at a time

Give the teachers guns – America’s story

 

The newsreader’s headline was “President Trump has suggested America should give the teachers guns to combat the rise in school shootings”

I yowled, threw up my hands in horror and turned off the radio.

Possibly not the best choice, considering I was driving at the time!!

Nevertheless she (the newsreader and whoever wrote the headline) got the response they wanted – despair, disbelief, anger no, fury, more despair, disbelief, refusal.

Push adrenalin, and we have your attention,

seems to be the common belief.

Um, no, you just lost a listener.

And now you can’t deliver me any more ads.

But that’s not the story I feel compelled to write about all this.

 

I want to tell a story about America.

 

It’s a long story and it begins with the brave, resourceful frontiersmen and women, and the struggle they won.

The part of the story that I want to highlight right now, though, is from my own time here on earth.

 

America, great country that she is, and conscious of the role she has taken on as leader of the free world,

felt the seeds planted,

in her shadows

in the frontier days,

starting to grow.

 

In an effort to turn her growth in a new direction she became involved in the Vietnam War.

It was part of the direction she knew would be unhealthy, but this time, she set up an understanding amongst her people of just what was happening.  They responded with a huge movement for change. It was a beginning.

 

The unhealthy growth continued alongside the suspicion and desire for change and a new direction.

 

She felt the need to turn further towards the growth she knew she needed, and chose to send selected people to target schools,

knowing that

while watching their young men die for little perceivable gain had been a catalyst in the past,

it hadn’t been enough.

 

Now it was time to push a lever that brought way stronger emotional response – the children – in school.

Emotional response drives change.

She understands that at so many levels.

 

If you are reading signs like this one

then you know the response, and the emotion generated.

 

America you gave the world Donald Trump for a reason.

 

America, grand lady, your journey continues and we all in the free world,

and in wherever the unfree world is too,

support you in your struggles.  We all will be better for the understandings.

 

The story behind – the door at the head of the stairs

 

I passed this one in a walk around the block in South Yarra.  Lots of old, old buildings, some homes, some divided into apartments, some rentals.

What story does this doorway tell?

It tells of a solid establishment, maybe an office or maybe it was a bank at some stage.

The people who live or work there obviously don’t trust you and me.  They feel we may break into their solid establishment.  They have taken the time to be secure, and to use an interesting security grille.

I wonder if the little plants in the steps are a deliberate design element or just lack of attention.

Sometimes we need to enter, or meet the owners to find out more of the story that is their brand.