Winter - Spring 2023
To Be Encouraged, to Be Supported, to Be Nurtured and Nourished: The Power of Story |
Être encouragé(e)
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Did you know that we can participate through story in envisioning a bright future and even a brighter present (and we can survive what we’ve done to this earth, and we can do better, and the Earth can survive what we’ve done to it/ourselves—we will find balance), one that includes a place for every person, and an understanding that all beings are interconnected, and that regarding ourself in interconnectedness leads to— yes, wait for it . . . a whole new world? For all of us.
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Photo by Matthew Murphy on Unsplash
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basket that is woven with love and care and that is used to hold what we share throughout time.
The power of story is nothing to take lightly. Nor is the story of needing to be recognized, or the story of self-actualization. |
This series will in part explore the story of story, of the human need for self-actualization—the need to matter, to be important, to be part of something bigger, and to be uniquely oneself in the relationships we have; the need to grow; the need to find one’s way.
There are so many ways of understanding story, let alone story-telling (or sharing through stories), but it does us good to consider how stories are told, whether it is other people telling and/or interpreting a story, or it is our own mind that is the narrator (narrator: literary term: the teller and voice of a story, sometimes a character in the story). If the narrator (or speaker in spoken word and poetry) really cares about the story, this is a very good sign, isn't it? We'll care, too, and we'll want to hear about the journey and efforts and progress, and, ultimately, the insight they or someone gained. And if it's a really good story, we'll probably participate in that insight, with sweetly simple joy. |
What are some of the factors that make up a good story?
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There are a lot of factors that make up a good story, and what a good story is to me might not be as good a story to you, or perhaps we might agree on several factors that make up a good story.
For example, in my favorite stories, the most elemental/essential/fundamental/basic features (components, attributes, qualities, or characteristics) of story exist in the emergence of passion, hope, and gentle wonder, with the presence of gratitude, and with the warmth of shared awareness, of love, and of the promise of self-actualization. Perhaps your favorite stories include some of these features as well. That wouldn’t be surprising, because what these features have in common is that they are heartening features of a story, and they tend to be playful/spirited and fun/entertaining/enjoyable. What is the effect of increasing such stories in our lives? How do such stories expand our sense of the positive, of what is possible, of who we are and who we can be? Are such stories keys that unlock and expand our imaginations, and therefore our realities, in positive ways? This series will explore these questions through engaging with stories that encourage us—that is, stories that inspire us, that breathe life into us, and that support and nurture and nourish us, enabling our growth. |
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To start off on this journey, we turn to Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s delightful layered story, like the petals of a flower, life, or the growing spirit of the story's protagonist, in “I See Something”, for which Hettiarachchi was named the 2014 World Champion of Public Speaking (an English public speaking event hosted by Toastmasters).
Hettiarachchi delivers a story that is heartening and playful and spirited, and that illustrates the importance of seeing something positive in other people and giving them (of whom that something is a part) a chance to flourish. This illustration is a story of self-actualization through expanding possibilities that are brought about each time someone sees something in him, offers him support, and participates in some kind of collaborative effort with him.
The title “I See Something” delivers the context of the story—that is, the context of people seeing positive potential in each other.
We will have more on Hettiarachchi’s “I See Something” in time to come, but for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this indelible wellspring of possibilities!
Hettiarachchi delivers a story that is heartening and playful and spirited, and that illustrates the importance of seeing something positive in other people and giving them (of whom that something is a part) a chance to flourish. This illustration is a story of self-actualization through expanding possibilities that are brought about each time someone sees something in him, offers him support, and participates in some kind of collaborative effort with him.
The title “I See Something” delivers the context of the story—that is, the context of people seeing positive potential in each other.
We will have more on Hettiarachchi’s “I See Something” in time to come, but for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this indelible wellspring of possibilities!
