We Are Our Stories

A man who has gone out of his town comes back and finds that his house is on fire.

It was one of the most beautiful houses in the town, and the man loved the house. Many people were ready to give double price for the house, but he had never agreed for any price, and now it is just burning before his eyes. And thousands of people have gathered, but nothing can be done. The fire has spread so far that even if you try to put it out, nothing will be saved.

So he becomes very sad.

His son comes running, and whispers something in his ear: "Don't be worried. I sold it yesterday, and at a very good price three times more. The offer was so good I could not wait for you. Forgive me."

But the father said, "Good, if you have sold it for three times more than the original price of the house."

Then the father is also a watcher, with other watchers. Just a moment before he was not a watcher, he was attached. It is the same house, the same fire, everything is the same, but now he is not concerned. He is enjoying it just as everybody else is enjoying.

Then the second son comes running, and he says to the father, "What are you doing? You are smiling and the house is on fire?"

The father said, "Don't you know, your brother has sold it."

He said, "He had talked about selling it, but nothing has been settled yet, and the man is not going to purchase it now."

Again, everything changes.

Tears which had disappeared, have come back to the father's eyes, his smile is no more there, his heart is beating fast.

But the watcher is gone.

He is again attached.

And then the third son comes, and he says, "That man is a man of his word. I have just come from him. He said, 'It doesn't matter whether the house is burnt or not, it is mine.

And I am going to pay the price that I have settled for.

Neither you knew, nor I knew that the house would catch on fire.'" Again the father is a watcher.

The attachment is no more there.

Actually nothing is changing; just the idea that "I am the owner, I am identified somehow with the house," makes the whole difference.

The next moment he feels, "I am not identified. Somebody else has purchased it, I have nothing to do with it; let the house burn."

From birth to death, the power of our own personal story follows us, and it’s ability to inspire our best self, our best work and help us build our best life is as real as it’s power to create disempowerment, underachievement, overachievement at any cost.

The stories we tell ourselves become our worlds.  

The power of OUR story must be mined because its power lies not in what we have accomplished or not accomplished, but in the pivot points, the accomplishments that touch our heart, the wins that are milestone markers AND moments of challenge that (if properly used) can help us develop a new sense of self, a better view of your own potential.

The power of our story, is the fire that can light the power of our greatest potential. Our ability to see our story with new eyes, eyes that builds on our desire to look at our story and the story of others with eyes that search a meaning and purpose that aligns with the courage, integrity, purpose, humanity required to take us all forward as one people sharing one planet. In a world of constant change, challenges, competition; at a time of titanic paradox where our ability to develop technological, scientific advances that are REMARKABLE remain dimmed by social, economic, environmental, organizational problems...

What is YOUR story? 

How will you look upon your journey with eyes that will help you see your strengths with greater clarity, and use challenges, failures as a lever for your greatest potential? 

Your story, my story, our stories and the way we choose to see them can either enhance our reduce our ability to build better lives, better organizations and contribute to a better world.

This is the start of our sweet little story. The part where your page meets mine. No matter where you take yours tomorrow, our story will be read much long after we have been…

Sow a thought, you reap an action.

Sow an act, you reap a habit.

Sow a habit, you reap a character.

Sow a character, you reap a destiny..