For his Collective Pod, he agreed to own the 21st Century skill of Storytelling. In a message of encouragement I found myself saying, “The best Storytellers I know are very present beings.”
I had to think about why exactly I said that. I am privileged to know many professional Storytellers. And while these Tellers largely tell in a performance setting, they have gathered their stories by living – by being present.
The last several years have caused me to think a great deal about living in the present. And there are a few reasons for this. My age is one of the reasons. As time goes by, I find I desire to be less conscious of time. This puts me at odds with many things in this time-conscious society.
Another reason present living has my attention is – well, living. Dwelling in the past and fearing the future is not living.
In a recent retreat I facilitated, I met a wonderful young woman. I’ve seen her since at several community functions. It’s always enjoyable seeing her and talking with her. She is one of those you don’t soon forget. The reason – her presence. In each and every conversation, she is there with you. She will have great stories to tell now and for years to come.
She will have these great stories, and tell them well, because she was fully present – in the moment. Only when we are intentionally present will the present moment bless us with the memories it takes to tell a story well.
Our presence and participation in another’s story makes our own unfolding story richer.
Very interesting posting on being in the present moment. With so much happening in our lives today, we forget to live in the present moment, even if we normally make every attempt to live that way on a daily basis. How can we go back into our memory banks in order to tell a story if we are not present enough to create those memories? Having reminders such as this posting is essential, especially when we are enduring the current roller coaster ride with the economy, war, healthcare, and everything else that touches our lives. Thank you Jeff for the wonderful reminder!
-K. Bonk
Thank you Kim for your beautiful articulation! I especially love your question.
“How can we go back into our memory banks in order to tell a story if we are not present enough to create those memories?”
I hope you are doing wonderfully well.
Thanks again … Jeff