Six Word Story – Week In Review – 5/19/13

by Niki on May 19, 2013

This week I got back on track with publishing a six word story every day. I started this daily habit for two reasons: to practice storytelling and to enhance my own well-being. Along the way I’m learning a few things about how to pay better attention to my life. If you want to know more about this daily practice you can read my original post about this project over here.

There was no consistent theme to my stories this week – these stories were truly and completely all over the map. This was a good week to fasten my seat belt and just hang on, because every day brought another adventure.

Here’s my stories from the past week:

Sunday, 5/12/13

Can’t win if you don’t play.

Monday, 5/13/13

Probability is estimated at fifty percent.

Tuesday, 5/14/13

My best friend is finally back!

Wednesday, 5/15/13

Some things – and people – never change.

Thursday, 5/16/13

Discovered a pillowcase full of chocolate.

Friday, 5/17/13

I caved, turned the AC on.

Saturday, 5/18/13

We get to carry each other.

What I’m Learning About Storytelling and Life

There’s been so much going on in my life lately, the stories have been flowing. At the end of each day I’ve had to decide which story I want to publish, there’s been so many to choose from.

Take yesterday for example: I started out with an early run in Sabino Canyon with a friend. He’s a pretty VERY fast runner, but ran slow enough to keep pace with me. Around mile two of our run we came upon a mother duck and six baby ducks swimming in the canyon water. It was a beautiful scene – because it was random and unique and incredibly peaceful. When we ran back down out of the canyon, all the ducks had climbed onto some sand and were all snuggled together asleep. The ducks would have made for a great story.

Then later in the day, I was frustrated by several people and wanted to write a six word story about being annoyed, except I already knew that was NOT what I wanted to focus on. I never want to pay more attention to the annoying details of life.

Instead, I paid attention to the challenges a friend was going through and how I was able to be a supportive friend to him, simply by showing up, being present, and listening to his situation. That connection would have made for a good story.

Later in the evening I loved hanging out with some friends, eating and laughing and connecting over completely bizarre situations. Smiling and laughing with friends usually makes for a good story.

So at the end of the day, I decided on a six word story that summarized several different scenes from the day: We get to carry each other. (** This is also a line from the U2 song, “One.”)

Really, this is what connecting with people is all about – it’s about carrying each other. We are here to support each other, to bear witness to our challenges, to help each other through the tough parts of life.  And yes, it’s also about celebrating with each other, about bearing witness to our successes, and acknowledging when everything works out for the best. We carry each other though our challenges and our accomplishments. 

Yesterday, I got to carry other people, in the ways I provided emotional support.

And I got to be carried by other people, who showed me their support and caring. My running friend slowed his pace to run with me. My realtor took time to send me sanity via email, and several friends reached out to share their empathy and patience with me.

We get to carry others and we get to be carried. This is the essence of life. And I’m beginning to believe, this is a pillar of what makes for a happy life.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. I believe it takes a tribe to live a happy life. We all need a tribe, whether it’s comprised of family or friends or neighbors or colleagues. We need a tribe to carry us and carry each other, when things get rough and when things go well.

I hope we all have tribes – and can create tribes – who are willing and capable to carry us when we need to be carried.

It’s a privilege and an honor to carry other people. And it’s a blessing to allow ourselves to be carried by others.

Connection is a blessing, and it’s what I wish for you today, and this next week.

As always, thanks for reading along here.

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Six Word Story – Week In Review – 5/5/13 & 5/12/13

by Niki on May 13, 2013

There’s a first time for everything, and this is definitely a first: I missed publishing last week’s roundup of daily stories. In case you’re new here, I’ve established a daily habit of writing a six word story about my life, every day this year. Every week, or MOST every week, I publish a weekly summary of stories, along with the lessons I’m learning about storytelling and life. If you want to know more about this daily practice you can read my  original post about this project over here.

I don’t have any good excuses for not publishing my weekly summary last week. I do however, have some bad excuses, mostly related to all the uncertainty in my life right now. What I’m finding is that when life is chaotic, concentration is impossible. Uncertainty breeds distractions. It’s really surprising, how chaos in one domain of your life can spill over into every other area of your life.

The good news is that I’m still enjoying the practice of writing a 6 word story every day, and having this daily habit forces some degree of centering and focus. The structure of that simple daily practice is helping me stay grounded and put things into perspective at the end of each day. Without further introduction, here’s my stories from the past two weeks:

Sunday, 4/28/13

Running track intervals, loving every endorphin.

Monday, 4/29/13

Random hugs, breaking up the monotony.

Tuesday, 4/30/13

Two ducks, gliding gracefully, quietly, away.

Wednesday, 5/1/13

Yes please, rocks no salt, thanks!

Thursday, 5/2/13

This blonde would like a blonde.

Friday, 5/3/13

A blonde walks into a bar.

Saturday 5/4/13

Three blondes walk into a restaurant.

Sunday, 5/5/13

6.2 miles, none of it flat.

Monday, 5/6/13

One more toenail bites the dust.

Tuesday, 5/7/13

Fingers and toes are still crossed.

Wednesday, 5/8/13

What if…we just love everyone?

Thursday, 5/9/13

Stumbled into Willie Nelson sing along.

Friday, 5/10/13

Red pen put to good use.

Saturday, 5/11/13

Ten hours sleep, feel brand new.

What I’m Learning About Storytelling and Life

Here’s exactly what I’ve been (re)learning the past two weeks: when life gets uncertain and chaotic, and things feel out of control, my best strategy is to move into action.

I KNOW, yes I really KNOW that action just brings me the delusion of having control over things. And most times I really don’t have control. I GET that. Yes, I hate it, but I get it. And when I shift into action, I instantly feel better simply because I’m doing something. I LOVE doing stuff and taking action. Doing something = peace of mind. Waiting/doing nothing = stress and anxiety.

And this is how storytelling is just like life. In a bad story, not much happens, and not much changes. Good stories are essentially about how someone changes over time through their actions. A bad movie is one where not much happens. Bad stories are boring because of their lack of action. Seems pretty obvious, right?

Here’s the next leap we have to make: If we aren’t happy with the story of our life, we have to consciously and intentionally take action to change it. We cannot sit around waiting. Waiting = a bad story = a lame life. Taking action = a more interesting story = a more interesting life. And no matter how uncertain any situation might seem, there is ALWAYS some sort of action we can take. Always.

During the last two weeks I’ve been dealing with one very uncertain, very ambiguous situation. And for four days I was pretty much a basket case about it. And then the day I decided to move into action was the turning point – that was the day my entire outlook changed and my anxiety went away. The situation was still completely uncertain. But suddenly, I was fine with the uncertainty.

As soon as I decided to ACT instead of WAIT, I became happier and calmer. I was instantly relieved because I knew that no matter what happened, I’d be able to sort everything out. Once I started taking action, I knew I could deal with any outcome.

In other words, you can write a more satisfying story about your life by writing in more action.

No matter what’s happening in your life these days, you can edit your story to include more action. You can edit your story to become the hero that saves the day. It all starts with showing up and deciding to act.

You don’t have to be Superman, you just have to decide to show up.

As always, thanks for reading along…

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Six Word Story – Week In Review – 4/28/13

by Niki on April 29, 2013

During the past week we returned to our regularly scheduled programming of life. No bombs, no city lockdowns, nothing out of the ordinary. Just me and my very ordinary habit of writing a six word story about my life every day.  If you want to know more about this daily practice you can read my  original post about this project over here.

What I remembered this week is how nice life can be when it is ordinary and calm. Yes, when things are calm, we might have to look harder to find the stories, to find the excitement, but it is possible to find joy and contentment in our ordinary routines. I found myself smiling as Charly tried to chase ducks on Sunday, and later in the week I loved watching Charly swim with his doggie friends. Some people might say my life has gotten boring, but I prefer to think my life has become more stable. Either way, it suits me these days.

Without further introduction, here’s my week in stories:

Sunday, 4/21/13

Charly chasing ducks around the lake.

Monday, 4/22/13

Toddlers can move faster than me.

Tuesday, 4/23/13

Delivering surprises: more fun than receiving.

Wednesday, 4/24/13

Planning play dates for our canines.

Thursday, 4/25/13

The well of inspiration needs replenished.

Friday, 4/26/13

Coloring leads to laughter and teamwork.

Saturday 4/27/13

One very happy very wet dog.

Charly, Swimming

What I’m Learning About Storytelling and Life

Even though my week was calm, there’s been uncertainty in some areas of my life. There are at least three specific situations when I can’t see the future outcome. And this is NOT how I like to live. I like to see and know the outcome. The sooner the better, already.

And so this is another thing I’m learning to practice – I’m learning how to accept not knowing. I’m learning to relax into the uncertainty. This is NOT what I’m good at, this does NOT come naturally to me. In fact, the only recurring nightmare I’ve ever had in my life involves me driving a car while I’m blind. In this very stressful dream, I am literally trying to drive a car while my eyes are glued shut. Of course during the dream I’m in a complete panic, trying to steer the car on the road without any vision. If that isn’t a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is.

Sometimes you just cannot see how the plot is going to develop, sometimes you just can’t figure out the ending. And this tension, this NOT knowing is exactly what makes for an interesting story and an interesting movie. It’s what we don’t know that keeps us watching and paying attention.

This is what I want to learn and remember: it’s the uncertainty that keeps life interesting and meaningful. If I knew the outcome of every story already, even I would get bored and want to change the channel.

I don’t want to be bored. I want to have faith in myself and other people to help move the plot forward, because even when we can’t see the entire storyline, there is still a storyline.

This is what I hope for myself this week, I hope for more faith and more trust in the story. I want to remember it’s the uncertainty that makes life interesting and if I knew every outcome already, even I would get bored.

Don’t be bored. Be curious. And stay tuned.

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