I was never one for sharing negative stories. My philosophy about negative experiences is that you should reframe them! Learn from them! And move on!
I avoided those who repeated the same negative stories for no other reason but to feel sorry for themselves, and an open invitation for others to join their ‘pity me club.’
The shift
I’ve since learned there’s a difference between those who share stories to keep themselves stuck, and those who share their stories to liberate themselves and to empower others.
One of my clients received so much value from me sharing my story; she encouraged me to share it with others. She believed my story mattered. She believed my story could inspire and motivate others.
Your story can inspire and impact a life for years to come ~Adalia
Angela Schaefer believes YOUR story matters
Angela Schaefer is a dynamic speaker and the author of Your Story Matters. She shares why YOUR story matters in her powerful talk at TEDxUCIrvine.
A few highlights from her talk
Sharing your story can repair fractured relationships with family members and neighbors.
Stories build bonds, connections and communities.
You can share your story in many ways: art, images, videos, music or the medium that best reflects who you are.
Just be you and share a part of yourself.
The best time to share your story is when there’s conflict.
When we express curiosity in one another we can change the world. (One of my favorites)
Check out the video below and share your thoughts in the comment section.
If you have a problem starting video click link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fejqYjjf-BY&feature=share&list=UUkk5fl_0G1nbxNfMcILPTSw
Your turn
Share one of your stories with us?
If you have a story that’s keeping you from living the life you want to live, let’s talk. We’ll reframe your story for empowerment, inspiration and liberation.
Contact me today. You’ll be glad you did. FREE strategy session.
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Hi Adalia – I like this and it’s especially important to me as I’ve found over the years that it’s stories that help us connect and relate to one another. I agree that some stories only keep people stuck but maybe they will realize it over time and move on to inspire others.
A couple of things, my site is about connecting through the telling of kitchen table stories and I wanted to share a link to one of them. It’s lighthearted remembering some of the silly things I’ve done in my life.
It’s called “Fruitcake Moments” at http://plaintalkandordinarywisdom.com/fruitcake-moments/
Also, I wanted to let you know I nominated you for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award on a post at my site (http://plaintalkandordinarywisdom.com/a-special-thank-you-dragons-loyalty-award/). I’m happy to share you with my readers. 🙂
Hello Pat,
Pat it’s a pleasure to read your words and I appreciate your visit as always. And thank you very much for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award. Muah!!
You’re truly welcome for the award, Adalia, and thank you for reading. I’m happy to spread the love and share you with my readers.
Appreciate it Pat.
“An Awakening”
When I was diagnosed with Breast cancer a few years back, I reacted like most who receive a cancer diagnose; first thing came to mind was a “death sentence”. However, I found out later that it was truly “an awakening” for me. I began questioning God, why would you do this to me? What had I done in life so bad to have this placed upon me? But instead of bemoaning my fate, I decided to look for the positive side of it. There has to be a reason for it all.
I also realized that I was about to face a new beginning, new hope, do and see more with a whole new prospective on life. When I think of the “gift of life” that was given to me, I know that I will develop and gain strength from all my experiences. After going through all that I did during my breast cancer period, I was left with, what the MD’s called “Neuropatic Pain”, which is severe nerve damage. The pain is usually with you all day; at times worse than others. I was later diagnosed with “Lymphedema”. Of course I just kept smiling and saying to myself, “Oh lucky me”. For a while, I wasn’t happy with the way I looked around my breast area after my first surgery, nor the pain I had to endure each day, but I decided to snap out of it. Even after being diagnosed with another cancer (colon) a few years later. Which totally took me by surprise. I had already had my time with cancer, I thought to myself. Why another one? I even make jokes at times, while crying inside asking, “what am I”, the cancer carrier? But even with the pain I had to endure through each diagnose, and all the struggles I’ve dealt with all my life, I still feel truly blessed. I think about the individuals that are no longer among us. I also realized that there will always be someone worse off than I am. I reminded myself, that I “still have my life”, so who am I to complain.
One day during one of my surgeries, I experienced something of a miracle and felt the compulsion to write it down. I turn that experience into a poem and I called it “Peace”. Writing had become therapy for me. I took that poem, along with many others I had composed during my breast cancer period and placed them into book form. I was blessed enough to have that book published and it’s titled “True Simple Poems of Life, Faith and Survival”. I later had another inspirational children’s book published and I’m working on my third. I’m hoping that anyone who has the opportunity to read my poems, get out of them, what I placed in all of them. My poems are from the heart, as real as any could ever be. With the words and phrases of each poem of statement, I wish to make a positive impact on someone who’s ill or otherwise, where they could develop the strength to embrace life in a whole new way. I never anticipated becoming a writer, I just became one. I truly believe when you survive a horrific tragedy or a horrible disease as cancer, it’s for a reason, “you have a purpose” and I want to live to find find out exactly what that is for me.
That’s what I’m all about now, inspiration. I would have never become a writer, producing inspirational poems and stories, if I had not gone through all that I did. I’m a true example that you can survive cancer not once, but twice, providing you catch it in time, have faith and allow that faith to direct your path. I’ve not saying all will be easy, but you must believe.
Karen Rice
x2 Cancer Survivor/Author
Houston, Texas
Hello Karen,
You’ve told an amazing story. You’re are a powerful, vibrant woman. I look forward to reading your poems.
Thank you so much Ms. Adalia, but remember, powerful women beget powerful women, so I’m quite sure you are as well. And if you get a chance to rad any f my poems, I hope you get out of them, what I placed in all of them.
Thank You,
K. Rice
You’re welcome Karen. “Powerful women beget Powerful women,” I like that statement.
(sorry for the misspelled words), but as I stated; Thank you so much Ms. Adalia, but remember, powerful women beget powerful women, so I’m quite sure you are as well. And if you get a chance to read any of my poems, I hope you get out of them, what I placed in all of them.
Thank You,
K. Rice
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and your poems. Let’s hear it for powerful women.