Stories

I trail run with a group of people.  We run over mountains training for distances of 50km and longer.  I love it.  I love running with the group.  They are a truly compassionate and inspirational bunch!  Our running coach fosters that feeling in our group.  Training and doing well is important, but supporting each other, being kind and engaging new members of the group is also important.  She has truly done a excellent job of building community, and inspiring us all.

One of the gals I run with is working on her masters degree - I believe it's her second masters.  She is writing (in a nutshell) about the stories that people tell, and how they affect us, and push us to have perhaps a deeper understanding of who we are, who others are, and how it all fits together in this crazy place we call our world.  At least that is how I interpreted it.  You can read her blog here and see what you think.

She's in here somewhere!!

The connections we make with people are integral to our wellbeing, and to becoming a more compassionate individual.  We need each other to increase our level of happiness.  Sharing our thoughts and experiences through the rhetoric that we call our stories enables us to build our sense of community and acceptance amongst the tribe.  We are all interconnected, and we are all human beings with something unique and special to share.

Sadly, this sharing of stories can be a very difficult thing for some people.  But because of people that reach out beyond what is expected and keep sharing their stories, and asking for yours, it eventually maybe becomes a little bit easier to finally make that connection.

Carrie, who is working on her thesis, is exceptional at sharing and drawing out the stories of others.  She is genuinely interested and has a wonderful capacity for making people feel more at ease.  The topic she is writing about is certainly something she can be passionate about.

While it may not be everybody's forte, we can certainly all learn to be better.  Let's focus on being compassionate towards each other, and the next time you meet a new person, or a distant acquaintance, why don't you try to get them to tell you a story?  Maybe even after sharing one of your own?!