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Once Upon A Time…
By: Susan Deborah Schiller
In the Series "Write to Freedom eCourse – Writing a Mini Memoir"
Think of all the adventures of your life. Whether you consider them bad or good, each of them contain nuggets of Beauty and Truth. I love what Ken Dahl says about the value of sharing these nuggets….
"Who would have thought… that simply "telling your story" could be the most powerful thing you could ever do?
You cannot "free people", but your STORY can if it is an experience you had with truth. Over the last 90 days word of mouth about my book, Field of Grasshoppers, resulted in several hundred copies being purchased.At first I was in shock, and I mean SHOCK! I actually thought that maybe the publisher's book sales report was wrong…
All I really "did" was to tell my story – about what I learned and discovered because of my personal story.
What "changed them" was simply finding out that they were not alone (because they had the SAME STORY, but were afraid that maybe they were the only one). It was TRUTH that set them free, not me. I don't have such magic-wand-like power.
Here's what I learned…
Never underestimated your personal story. It's a "true story", and the truth within it that changed YOU can and WILL change others, but not if you don't tell the story. You don't have to be perfect or… some sort of… polished speaker, learned theologian, or famous author. Those people are no more "qualified" than you are. After all, you're just "telling your story", your true story. Tell it. Tell it all…" — Ken Dahl, author of "Field of Grasshoppers"
We can all do this!
A friend, Murray Lincoln, shared such a story of a time when he was 8-years old, in his story called "The Woodcarver of Misty Hollow" – a story of when his grandfather showed him a secret place, a beautiful misty hollow where he pulled out a pocket knife and began to teach his grandson how to whittle and carve… little did this grandfather realize he was preparing this child for and early forced retirement 50-years in advance!
Beau Henderson shares a story of the legacy his father invested in him, with "Investing in Relationships"… how the transfer of wealth cannot be measured alone in dollars and cents, but in relationships.
Carla Gardiner relates how she was raised by her grandmother for seasons of her childhood, and how she learned entrepreneurial skills. Little did this grandmother realize that those entrepreneurial skills would launch Carla into her own successful business. "Grandma Died Still Teaching Me Lessons" is the story of how Carla's grandmother still speaks into her life today, as a result of those early stories and lessons.
One of my stories is called "The Lone Rancher" and it's about a time in my life when I co-managed a ranch, except that my partner was often out of state, so I had a lot of adventures that involved cows disappearing, Indians showing up on my doorstep, and chasing rez bulls into the desert. I learned that God's a really great cowboy and could teach me the mysteries of a showdown with a runaway bull. It's a time when I discovered there is provision hidden inside of every problem.
In a day and age where families are miles away, we need to get intentional about sharing our stories. Telling stories and sharing values go hand-in-hand together!
Your Day 16 activation, of course, is to tell a story for a young person … a tale of action and adventure, along with the lessons learned.
Share a time when you were stretched, when you learned something hard, when you mastered a new skill, when you went someplace exciting, when you did something you're proud of. Weave the lessons you learned into your tale.
Add sensory details… notice the wind, the trees, the twinkle in someone's eyes, the way you were sweating… you know… the things that help your reader feel like they're right inside the story with you! Explore adjectives and play with verbs. Have fun – don't stress!
Read some of the stories linked above – you might get inspired by all the different styles and tales!
Share your story with Team Family Online, either privately or publicly. This is your chance to be published here, if you wish!
Okay, saddle up your horses and get ready to ride – the ride of your life! Share the adventure with us!
Be you. Live free. Tell your story.
With all my love,
Sue
Susan Schiller knows how it feels to lose everything: marriage and family, church and reputation, finances and businesses, and more. Susan's upcoming, interactive memoir, "On the Way Home," tells the story of how she came to be known as "the most abused woman" her counselors had yet met and how she learned to navigate her way out of hell to a rich and satisfying life. In her lifetime, Susan has served in duties ranging from home school mom – to pastor – to full-time deliverance minister – and to Midwest regional prayer coordinator for a large international ministry. These days you can usually find Susan soaking in her favorite hot springs pool, reading a book (or several), blogging, baking bread, or hanging out with her family and friends. You can pre-order a free copy of Susan's upcoming book, "On the Way Home" by registering here.
Copyright 2014, Susan Schiller, http://TeamFamilyOnline.com. For reprint permission for any private or commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.
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