447 Pivot Point: An Epic Story Leads to Meaningful Moments
“I was frustrated, exhausted, and close to tears, when I suddenly heard a lawn mower outside our bay window. Our neighbor was mowing our lawn.”
I didn't ask him to do it. I didn't even know he knew the stress that was happening in our house.
When my husband broke his leg two miles from the trailhead in a remote part of Montana, I learned about my own resilience, resourcefulness, and grit. It was an epic adventure getting my family off a mountain, and I love to share it when the opportunity arises.
But it's not the epic story that holds the most meaning for me. It's the experiences it generates days, months, and years later.
I shared the story in episode 446, and this week's episode is about how our community showed up for us in our recovery from that adventure.
Most of us are much better at giving than receiving, but to build and nurture a strong community we must be able to accept help with grace and gratitude. Strong relationships require an aspect of reciprocity, not constant selfless service.
Listeners, now it's your turn:
Did my story remind you of something from your past?
Can you see now how that difficult experience helped shape you, and the meaningful moments that were a direct or indirect result of the epic story?
What do those moments offer in terms of lessons for you?
As always, thanks for listening to Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will. Are you curious to learn about working with me? Visit my website to schedule time to chat and sign up for periodic updates about my work, and connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook for content about Strengthsfinder, storytelling, and public speaking.
After more than 430 episodes of this podcast, I was recently inspired to change the format of the show.
The new format for my show aligns with what I’m learning about narrative identity (how the stories we tell about ourselves internally and externally influence our identity) and demonstrates what I’ve been teaching for years: Sharing a story to reveal who you are and what matters to you.
My hope is that future episodes will offer more clarity about great storytelling and how to find and explore pivotal moments to demonstrate who we are.
About Sarah:
Sarah is a Montana based workplace communication trainer, TEDx speaker, DisruptHR speaker, public speaking coach, professional storyteller, musician, and podcast host. Her workshops and coaching packages with teams and their leaders are known to address and reduce miscommunication – the most common cause of tension and stress in the workplace. Using the team’s results from the StrengthsFinder assessment, she guides teams in learning to speak each other’s “language”, learning to value each other’s strengths and connecting with each other through enhanced self-reflection and effective listening.
Sarah’s nearly 20 years working in government agencies inspired her to complete her MBA and to achieve her StrengthsFinder certification to improve work environments for others, guiding teams toward increased satisfaction, productivity, and happiness.
Visit her website to purchase her book, Your Stories Don't Define You in paperback or audiobook.