There's a Story You Have a Human Obligation to Tell
That's how we all get to see the miracle we're living in
Lay it on us
A bald eagle dove out of the highest branches of a towering cedar along the water’s edge, swooped down, and settled into a glide directly over my head as I was cycling down the hill. Matching my speed, it was so close I could nearly reach up and latch on to its talons.
That’s the story I share in the video below, but it’s not the content of the story that matters, it’s the effect that it had on me that I felt obligated to communicate. It woke me up, and brought me to life.
It happens to all of us. We enter a somnambulant state that we’re often not aware has taken us over. Our assumptions, chronic worries, and old grooves do the navigating of our lives. Before we know it, we’ve driven the whole way to work or back from the store and can’t remember doing it.
This is not life.
A miracle can be a worldly occurrence that punches a hole in our waking dream and fills us with so much wonder we temporarily lose track of who we’re at odds with, how much it’s going to cost to fix the oil leak on our car, and the argument we use to convince ourselves we have nothing special to contribute in the world.
But the thing is, we all experience different miracles. And we’re supposed to. You might have shrugged off the eagle, and that’s okay. But maybe there’s a spectacular neighborhood garden someone has nurtured into bloom that stops you in your tracks. We’re all given a unique form of x-ray vision that cuts through the superficial and the mundane and sees right to the heart of some aspect of existence.
Like you have a natural rapport with children, and so they love to be around you. Or you commune effortlessly with animals, so they jump into your lap wherever you go. Or math isn’t a skill that you have, it’s a part of your soul, and you can’t imagine a God without the beauty of numbers.
There's a story you have a human obligation to tell.
Everyone needs to hear it.
The problem is, you can't see it.
Right now, in your life, you have a domain of expertise, of mastery, or accomplishment that most people don't have. It’s so natural to you that it’s invisible.
You might know how:
to bridge the gap between meaning and money
to bring scripture to life for others
to detect hidden patterns in writing that no one else could conceive of
to follow your heart at work
to radiate wisdom from the realm of whimsy
. . . the list is endless, obviously.
But, whatever it is that you've become skilled at, your mastery or expertise had an origin.
By "origin," I mean there was a first moment when you were given insight into the magic of your domain.
A moment when the universe communicated to you the extraordinary possibility that lies in this one facet of human activity or enterprise.
And because you saw that magic, you pursued that craft, or art, or skill—and now YOU are the one who can serve as a bridge to communicate that magic to other people.
You want nothing more than to help others understand, appreciate, and be able to access that same magic.
Sharing your origin story is the place to start.
Your origin story describes that very first moment when you understood a form of life magic. It might have been when you were a kid. Or it could have been an art, craft, skill, or subject you discovered later in life.
What's the story of your skill, your passion, your expertise, or your wonder?
I told my first story at an oratory competition in eighth grade. My mom tried to get me to tie my shoelace when she saw me pacing the halls before going on stage and I snapped at her to leave me alone, because I felt so utterly protective of my focus to do the story justice. My poor mom. I’m not proud of my rudeness, but all my life I’ve been devoted to delivering meaningful stories to others. And I am proud that I’ve kept track of that passion all these years. I won in my division that day, but the real prize was seeing a single tear run down the cheek of one of my teachers that she quickly wiped away. At age 13 I had just changed the life of a grown up person, and that could not be erased. I’ll never forget the feeling of power, contribution, and elation that produced in me.
Let us see and hear and taste a moment where a passion or love of yours first began. Storytelling is the skill of teasing the miraculous out of the shadows of everyday life, and you are the torch bearer for a unique corner of existence.
Lay it on us.
Tell us your story. Speak your truth. Write your heart out. Share your wisdom. The world is waiting. You’ve got a story to tell.
Story Sharing Day
For those of you who are new to Honestly Human, most Saturday’s I host a Story Sharing Day, where I supply a prompt and we practice sharing our authentic life experiences with one another.
I can guarantee that you are under-estimating the positive impact your personal life stories can have on others.
This is a chance, not only to delight and inspire others, but to get more confident with sharing your stories so you can step up in future personal and professional situations.
These meetings are usually a small group, so don’t worry about feeling overwhelmed by a big crowd.
Saturday, April 13th, 9 am PST
What aspect of life are you lit up about, but you hesitate to share or talk about? When did you first fall in love with this thing? What was it like when you first encountered this love, and what is your relationship to it now?
You don’t have to take my word for it. Here are a few participants talking about these story sharing sessions.
You deserve to be rewarded
Congratulations. You’re about to be rewarded for being a loyal reader and making it to the bottom of this week’s newsletter.
Keep your eye on this space for the next two weeks.
I’ll be dropping more information about a tool and service I’m building that promises one thing.
You’ll never bore an audience ever again.
Once you have this in hand, you’ll always be able to grab the attention of a crowd, provide value, and finish a meeting, presentation, class, session, or keynote feeling as elated as I did telling that first story in eight grade.
And I’ll tell you the price of this solution now so you’ll be ready for it.
$99 for life.
After this launch, it will cost $250/annually, maybe more.
It involves a groundbreaking app that I’m building right now, a community of professionals who want to be profound communicators, and direct coaching from me.
The first 100 people on my waiting list will get the offer.
All you have to do is reply to this email and say “waitlist me.”
If you’re one of the first 100, you’ll have first right of refusal to get the deal, tool, and service once it’s available.
Love it Rick! What an opening hook too (: line and sinker
You have a way with words Rick!! I haven't teared up at a newsletter in a while! (Math is not a skill you have, but is part of your soul....not me, but a dear friend recently opened up to me about that. It blew my mind. And made me love her more. And I suppose is really what this is all about.)
I have these two women, one a client, who are in my life. They're both authors, both had traumatic midlife divorces. Their books are about their recovery from those situations, but I have to admit, they are both very scared to share their story due to fear of ruining their family, their children, and seeming critical. I get it. But their stories need to be shared...that's the only way other women in isolation hearing their stories can heal. What advice would you give to them Rick? Maybe just give it time? Thank you. And just subscribed!