| "We live and die by our decisions, Tanner.
Remember that."
~ Lockdown 2020: Descent ~ |
| | I wonder how many of my emails in the last 15 years have started with, “It’s been a while.”
I wrote a blog about the Disappearing Act two years ago,
explaining why this happens and
why I’ve stopped being so hard on myself when it does. (Click HERE if you want to take a peek.)
This time, it’s been more than ten months.
And oh, what a ten months it has been.
There was a giant swell of magic at the end of last year—big invitations for me to dream and play bigger than I had ever imagined. And I knew what that meant. The upside-down was coming. While I felt more ready for the dream than ever before, I knew there was even more of my story to reclaim and rewrite before I could step into that bigness… and a part of me knew that it would also mean letting go of what was (and those who were) not able or willing to come with me.
There are so many deliciously messy and magical stories to share, I’ll have to spread them out across several emails for those of you who are interested in the down and dirty details...
But for now, I’ll share the big arc of the story and what it means for me AND MAYBE YOU moving forward.
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While it’s true that all of the projects I work on propel me forward in my personal and professional healing and growth, there was one this year that gave me access to the core wound that’s kept me playing small and scared for more than three decades. And it not only gave me access, the message and the messenger created what neuroscientists call “a disconfirming experience.” These are those moments where our narrative-driven minds are expecting the same old story to unfold—situations to unravel and people to react the way they always have—but are met with the opportunity to write a whole new story.
This project sent me to bed for days…
Hours of trembling under the covers in emotional release…
Cups of tears flowing as the only means of communication…
In our home, we call these Zuko flus because one of our favorite redemption stories involves a villain named Zuko making a big decision to change and then slipping into a deep metamorphosis that looked like illness to everyone else but his wise uncle.
Yes, it was a little like this.
Just like Zuko, when I emerged from the liminal state, something inside me had changed forever.
The wound was healed.
The story was changed.
The part of me that had been
dismissed, discounted, and dejected
had been reclaimed.
And oh boy, did she shock the crap out of some of the folks around me. (I can’t wait to share those stories with you.)
And after a few weeks of integration, it was clear that my path was about to change too.
I could no longer ask the question that I’d been asking since my wound was created, “What do you want me to do?”
And as I waited for the new question, I heard, “What do you desire, Amanda?”
What do I desire?
For the first time in my entire life, I was not held hostage to the desires of anyone else’s heart and agenda but my own…
And the answers began flooding in:
I want to tell the story of how Story has saved my clients and me, so that YOU and every single person, of every age and background can…
…open your eyes to the stories and messages that are already answering your unarticulated and unspoken questions and prayers.
Yes, already and you may not even know it.
…learn the language of Story, so you can more easily identify, articulate, and communicate your felt experience.
Yes, all that emotional material that's hard to get to,
let alone share.
…develop Story Literacy—the capacity and skills to engage story as an opportunity to heal and build your resilience.
Yes, there are blueprints you can use.
HERE is a kinda shocking example of how Story has saved me.
…feel seen, known, and loved the way I do when one of my guys or friends leans into a story with me, gets curious about my thoughts and feelings, and opens a portal to another layer of healing or resilience.
One of my healing moments this year followed a conversation in which my husband wondered about my obsession with two episodes of the show we were watching and said the words,
"OMG, Babe, I had no idea you were feeling this way,"
when he saw exactly what had been weighing on me.
…have the deeper relationships with your Self, Partners, Children, Colleagues, Clients, and Others that I can enjoy as a result of using Story as a Language, Medicine, and Invitation.
Yes, imagine a shorthand that could make you an even better friend, colleague, parent, or partner.
These answers led me to create a third brand
that I’m calling The Story Oracle.
Through True To Intention, I will continue to help aspiring and seasoned messengers develop paradigm-shifting, life-healing, collective-elevating messages into the world.
Through Saved By Story, I will continue to work with my magical team to help messengers publish books and launch brands without sacrificing their sanity or their soul.
And through The Story Oracle, I will speak to larger audiences and tell the almost unbelievable stories of healing I’ve witnessed and experienced through mindful engagement with Story, and facilitate story-driven retreats, workshops, and trainings to help individuals and groups use story to transform their relationships, workplaces, and communities.
And what does this mean for you? Why should you care at all?
Well…
I guess that’s up to you…
If you're like most of the folks I've been talking to this year, it's been one for the books, hasn't it? I don't think I've ever seen individuals working so intensely to keep up with the work required to stay regulated, focused, and committed than I have this year OR giving up.
If you're reading this, I suspect you're one of those working your butt off to not just survive but figure out how to thrive and contribute despite all of the challenges: spiritual, emotional, relational, social, political, and financial. All sides this year...
And...
What if just one of those (bullet-pointed experiences)
happened for you?
What if it could start today with the launch of the Write to Right the World quest? Check it out HERE to see if it might be the right place to start. It's half-price right now.
Or maybe on November 30th, when that dystopian alternative-history novel that helped me heal the 35+ year old wound launches? Check out the graphic novel the author is sharing online HERE. It's the backstory for Lockdown 2020: Descent, the first installation in the Old Glory Saga that he will roll out over the next year and beyond.
Or maybe next year, if you are at all interested in joining me for a “You Can’t Make This St*ry Up” retreat, or inviting me to speak or facilitate for your organization? Check out the options HERE at my Story Oracle website.
I’m more ready than I've ever been for whatever comes, and I hope you’ll come along.
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| | | | | | | Committed to Writing Truer Stories with You,
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| | Founder, True to Intention
Smart-Mouthed Seeker | Unapologetic Story Junkie | Message Oracle | Messenger Guide
Mom | Wife | Friend | Witness to Divine Intention through Story
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