Story: It's Power and Potential

Storytelling is an excellent way of caring for the soul. It helps us to see the themes that circle our lives, the deep themes that tell the myths we live.

                                                                       Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore

In the twenty first century, much has been forgotten about how important story is to the rootedness and well being of the individual. In our deep desire to be modern, we have overlooked this oldest of traditions that brought us to this time in which we now live.

Somehow we believe it no longer matters. The Quest for the Grail, the long journey that brings the hero home, the awakening of Sleeping Beauty, all manner of tales that touch that moment of truth, that moment that tells us who we really are.  

And yet we no longer feel called upon to see ourselves in these dramas or feel required to fantasize a new beginning.

“I don't have time, I don't want to know, to what end, I've got better things to do”…all of these say why storytelling is of no value.

But what of seeing your full life in perspective, to have a chance to live your story, to not be quite so sure the ending has already been written?

Storytelling allows for visionary moments, moments when you can view the past, not as all bad or all good, but just as it was…for whatever your story, it got you where you are today. Storytelling allows you to observe the patterns and processes that got you here, and allows each of us to make those observations.

Essential Wisdom stories are very consise stories about very real people, animals or situations. They have the potential to inspire and have great power...

The Loser

This story tells about a loser who happens to be a horse and his name is Haru-urara . Since losing can be relative, let's put his losing in perspective. Haru-urara has lost every one of his last one hundred and four races…that would be all the races he has ever run.

His story

Haru-urara means ‘gentle spirit' and this horse's enormous capacity for losing has captured the hearts of the Japanese people…a people known for their tenacity under fire. It seems there is a growing class of losers in Japan as well as corporate warriors who are being done in by the system. This horse represents to them the greatness that lies in learning how to lose with grace and finding the greater meaning in what it means to lose.

But there are interesting subtleties in this story. Haru-urara has an owner who knew right from the beginning that he was not a winner but he believed that he would race with heart and so as he saw it, it was not just about just about winning, but being in the race.

For it is clear that not everyone will win the race. But look at what this horse is doing in just doing his job. He has guaranteed a pasture for himself for his twilight years, not the normal fate of losing horses. He has inspired a country of humans who are down on themselves, to not give up even when it feels like they are losing. He has saved a racetrack by bringing in crowds and shortly he is going to be a Seabisquit-type star in his own movie.

The tremendous outcome from all this losing begs a question. What if Haru-urara's real work was to inspire and losing races was his way of doing it? Why that would make him a winner wouldn't it?

The w isdom

So the question is, if Haru-urara continues to race, does he lose if he wins? For oftentimes we are more generous to the loser and more envious of the winner…for aren't winners just lucky? Know that whatever the outcome, his story and his greatness is in his journey. Although he had less than most, his ‘gentle spirit' helped him find that which was meaningful to him. Perhaps it teaches us that there is greatness in whatever we do whatever the outcome, if we will just get on for the ride, stay the course and take pride in being winners for trying.

It is our habit to focus on winners when they have arrived. Maybe it is more important to find out what qualities got them there. That is the real story. For know that the next time the race gets difficult, it is those qualities that will get them across the ‘finish line'.

     Storytelling illuminates, inspires

 and if

you are truly aware and alive…

       Storytelling can be transformative!