find peace with your own story first

To tell a more beautiful collective story, we must each gain awareness of ourselves. We must find the faith to do the difficult work of healing the broken places in our own lives. We have to learn to take responsibility without rationalization or blaming someone else's faults or hostilities for our pain.

 

We can each learn to be honest, open-minded and willing to take a thorough look at our experience to recognize patterns of behavior that defeat us. We must face and examine our beliefs and their sources in our lives. We must face and examine the ways we respond to life and whether they are serving us and the relationships in our life.

 

Do you understand that 'the world' is only the story you tell yourself that it is? If the story you have been telling has not produced freedom for your spirit, stop telling yourself that story.

 

When we change our personal narrative and engage with others in new and more open ways, our collective narrative will change.

We can adopt a new mindset. 

 

It's taken years to fully understand that I am everything that my stories have made me. I wanted to separate myself into parts that others may find most appropriate. I am queer. I love God. I cuss too much. I love big. I have turned to alcohol and drugs for refuge.

 

I no longer use drugs or alcohol for relief. I am a teacher and a counselor and a performer, a mom, daughter, auntie, God Mother, and wife. And I'm silly and I did graphic design for years. And I can be VERY serious at times. 

 

I have witnessed countless people who, learning and accepting the true nature of their blaming others or victimhood, have reconstructed their lives and relationships. It begins with awareness and truth-telling.